The Secret Revealed
by xxpipxx
Summary: Set between eclipse and BD When Lauren and Mike overhear the Cullen's secret, things get nasty. With the Volturi involved, and lives on the line, the world of the vampires is suddenly at stake.
1. Chapter 1

I walked lazily down the beach at La Push, with Jacob chatting eagerly beside me

I walked lazily down the beach at La Push, with Jacob chatting eagerly beside me. It was just another day to me, nothing important. Edward was away hunting, and I'd gone to see Jake. Of course, he just talked and didn't pay attention to my absent minded state. I didn't feel inclined to listen, I just nodded and smiled where it seemed appropriate. It surprised me how much Jacob had changed in the last couple of weeks. He'd finally accepted that I loved Edward instead of him, and seemed content with the idea that I loved, or had loved him in return.

"Jake?" I asked, not caring that I'd cut off his story.

"What is it Bells?" He replied, confused at the promptness of my interruption.

"When I'm...you know...changed?" I asked, picking my words carefully. He frowned, but I ignored him. "Will you come see me? Will it be the same?"

He looked stunned, but slightly angry. Sure, he'd thought about it before, but something told me he wasn't quite ready to accept it yet. Me changing wasn't exactly his favourite subject. "Bells...I'll try, I really will. But you know how it is. It's not you, it's that blo..._Edward_. You have to understand- he's a _Vampire _Bella! And you're gonna be one too!"

I nodded glumly. I knew that he'd say something like that. So noble, but still wouldn't let anything stop his hatred with the Cullens. I sat down on the sand swiftly and Jacob followed suit, only an instant after me.

"What did you just say?"

I recognised that voice, though in the state I was in my brain didn't click into place straight away. Jacob however, the idiot, hadn't twigged at all, and he made the mistake of his life. Big time.

"You heard me Bella. I can't hang with you as much when there's vampires around…"

"Oh. My. God!" That time I recognised the owner of the shrill voice, and I spun around in shock. Lauren and Mike were standing behind us, their mouths wide open, staring at us wide eyed. Jake had realised it too, but his head wasn't jumping to conclusions like mine. He seemed dazed, but I was seconds away from hyperventilating. They knew. They'd heard every _stupid _word that came from Jacobs _stupid _mouth. They knew it all. They knew that Edward was a vampire…

Oh no. The worst had happened, and it was my fault, as always. Why did I always put the Cullens in such danger? This had to be the worst. The Volturi punished anyone who broke this law with instant death, anything to keep the Vampire world a secret. Then why wasn't I dead? Why wasn't _Jacob _dead? He was the one who said it after all. I should be a smoking carcass by now. What was wrong? But then it snapped into place. Alice couldn't see werewolves in her visions. Did the Volturi not even _know _about this yet? Whatever happened...they would soon.

It took me a second to realise that no time had passed, and Mike and Lauren were still staring at me. "Bella? Is this true?!" Mike asked, but Lauren just laughed with a malicious snarl.

"Of course it's true! That's why the Cullens are so different isn't it? I _told you _something was up with them didn't I. I CANT BELIEVE IT!"

I didn't say anything back, I was too stunned myself. How could you reply to that? "Yes, my boyfriend _is _a vampire….hadn't you noticed?" or "No! Of course not. Jacob's just deluded…he doesn't know what he's saying…" Nothing would work. Anything I said would drag me deeper into the hole I'd already dug. Desperate, I turned to Jacob for help. He was gone. Typical Jake, ditching me when times get tight. But even without guidance, I knew I couldn't stay here. I had to get away, far away, warn someone about what was happening before it got out of control. I began to run. If I could get to my truck, get back to Edward, we could try and make things right. Not perfect, but better. If we had to move away, I would. I loved him too much to leave him. My keys were in the ignition before they caught up, and Lauren banged her fists on my window angrily. I drove, fighting any temptations I had to 'accidentally' run over her on the way out.

The drive was silent, and I could hear my panicked breathing over the engine, the lashing wind, and the gravel beneath my tires. I would be back soon. Twenty minutes and I would be back where I belonged. Halfway to the Cullen's house, I slammed my foot on the brakes. Alice was standing in the centre of the road, a look of pure panic slapped across her beautiful face. Der. Of course she'd seen it happen. Edward had her watch me like a hawk, and this was something she couldn't miss. But he face still scared me, like all the life had been drained from it.

Whatever was up, it wasn't good.


	2. Chapter 2: The Plan

Alice hopped in my truck gracefully, but didn't look me in the eye

Alice hopped in my truck gracefully, but didn't look me in the eye. This wasn't like Alice. She was always so chatty…so happy. But not today. I started the engine, hoping the noise would help clear my head, but I had only drove a few metres when she spoke.

"Pull Over." She said quickly, no emotion leaking from her words. I didn't reply, my heart was pounding too fast that words didn't seem to escape my mouth. Alice looked so worried, it scared me. She wasn't a best friend at this point, she was a vampire, and that thought made me bite my lip in fear. I had only ever seen her look like this when she thought Jasper might be in danger, so this could only be worse. I stopped my truck in a layby, but Alice still didn't speak, even when the roaring of my truck had vanished, and we were left in an eyrie silence.

I couldn't take it any more.

"Alice?" I whispered, my voice scratchy and too high. She turned to me, biting her lip as well. "Alice what did you see?"

"A lot of things. What the _hell _happened??" She looked angry, but sympathetic. I was suddenly immensely glad that it was Alice and not Edward who had found me, she was much more likely to understand.

"Well...I was down in La Push with Jake." I started, hesitating to watch her reaction. She raised her eyebrows but listened quietly and gestured for me to continue. "We got talking, and I asked him about what would happen..._afterwards_. He got slightly mad, and said pretty loudly that Edward was a vampire." I flushed as I finished, hopelessly afraid of her reaction.

"That's all?" She heaved a sigh of relief, but I shook my head.

"No. After he said that, we realised that Lauren and Mike from school were behind us. They heard everything." Alice gasped, and turned back to staring at the forest through the window. "Alice? Tell me. What. Did. You. See?"

"I saw a lot, everyone keeps changing their minds. Firstly I saw everyone at school talking about...about _us. _Then I saw Jasper..." Her voice stammered off, and I felt the pang of emotion that she was feeling. She looked like she would be sobbing if she could cry.

"What about Jasper...Alice you can tell me?"

"Jasper was...he was in a laboratory, being tested on. He'd been taken away."

I gasped, and sniffed back a tear. I hated seeing Alice this way, she was always so bubbly and fun. But today- she was completely different, and it was all my fault.

"We need to go and see Edward." She said firmly. "He and Carlisle can sort this out." I wasted no time, and I started my truck. The familiar noise of the vehicle made me slightly calmer, and Alice didn't speak the whole way home, she just sat back with her eyes closed, watching vision after vision. Every so often she would wince or gasp, but I couldn't bear to ask her anything, it would only make me feel worse, more guilty. However, I still had one burning question that I couldn't pluck up the courage to ask. _What about the Volturi?_

We arrived at the house all too quickly, and I turned round to find that Alice had already left, and was waiting for me impatiently by the front door. I followed glumly, imagining the judgmental expression on Edward's face. This of course, was why I 'shouldn't hang out with werewolves'. Of course he would be right, he always was. My feet scuffed on the driveway, and I didn't have the strength to look Alice in the eyes. She opened the door, and I saw everyone. Rosalie, Emmett, Carlisle, Esme, Jasper and...Edward. Alice wasted no time, ran to Jasper and threw her arms around him, burying her head in his chest. Edward came to my side protectively, and grabbed my hand instinctively. How could I let anything bad happen to him? How?

I sniffed back a tear, and suddenly every eye was on me, scrutinizing my expression, and then turning to gawp at Alice's pained face. "What happened..." muttered Rosalie, looking bored. "Has your _dog _friend upset you again?" She smirked and turned back to Emmett, ignoring Edward's growl.

"Rosalie, this is _serious!_" yelled Alice, emerging from Jasper's shirt, though she still wouldn't let go of his hand. Rosalie raised her eyebrows, but sat down gracefully on the couch.

"Carry on Alice," Carlisle said swiftly. I knew how much he hated arguments within the family, and Rosalie was probably the major source.

"It's bad. This is probably the worst thing that could ever happen to us." Her voice was unnaturally quiet, but at this point only Edward realised what had happened. He gasped and pulled me closer to him. Though this would normally make me forget everything else, today was different.

"Oh God. They know! It's out in the open..." muttered Edward, and the rest of the family looked confused. Rosalie stood up and walked towards us.

"What the heck are you talking about! _What's _out in the open!?" She glared at him, and Edward smiled ruefully back at her.

"Everything! It's all out! They know Rose, they know about us! They know about what we are!" The silence that followed was unbearable, as everyone took in what had just happened. Rosalie's glare got worse, but this time she glared at me. My only wish right now was that I had stayed home, and not opened my _stupid _mouth to Jacob.

"Who said it?" whispered Esme, still horrorstruck. Well, why wouldn't she be…

"Jacob," I muttered in response, keeping my gaze fixed on the floor.

"And who heard?"

"Lauren and Mike." I whispered tensely, but Edward suddenly relaxed at my side, and laughed.

"Lauren and Mike? Who in the right mind is gonna believe _her..._" His response was greeted by smiles and nods. Only Alice and I still looked panicked, but everyone else was perfectly calm. Emmett even laughed.

"He's right Bells. People will just think that this is some big popularity ting she'd got going. Everyone knows she hates you. If we just go to school and say it's a lie, everyone will forget it in like...two seconds!"

Alice suddenly cried out. "NO! You can't see the future! I WON'T let anything happen to Jasper!" The family were stunned. Such an outburst wasn't exactly Alice behaviour. Jasper bent down and kissed her on the cheek, and smiled.

"Don't worry, this will work. It's _Lauren _after all. I promise you, I'll be fine." He smiled convincingly and she hugged him tightly.

So that was that. No one said another word, and I was glad that Edward had no access to my mind. He would just laugh at my thoughts, but was it really so wrong to be worried? If I knew Lauren, the whole of Forks would know by now, and that definately wasn't a good thing. Did Charlie know? He'd only stop me from seeing Edward, even if he _didn't _believe it. And we were just gonna go back to school like nothing had happened?

I don't know why, but I knew tomorrow was gonna be bad. Very bad.


	3. Chapter 3

Edward drove me home, obviously frustrated about the speed of my truck, or was it the chance that the human charade was gone, over… Probably not, he was never the type of person to let someone like Lauren bother him. He kept his arm round me the whole time, which I liked, but please, did I really need anything to make my heart beat even faster? I guessed he noticed it too, but though he usually smiled and made some sly comment, today he was silent, and looked as solemn as ever. We pulled into Charlie's driveway, and he opened my door for me.

"Meet you upstairs?" He asked, not letting go of my hand. I grinned at him. Perfect…wonderful….flawless Edward. He _would _make me feel better….I knew he could.

"Sure, gimme 10 minutes or so?" I replied, trying to stay relaxed, and not flip out on him again. He nodded, and dashed off round the side of my house. These days, I couldn't even imagine spending a night without the comfort of Edward's arms around me. But before I went up, I had something to do. I had to ring Jacob. This was all his fault anyway, and in my opinion, her was the one who was gonna get us out of it. I dialled his number quickly, and I was surprised when it picked up on the first ring.

"Hello?!" He said, Jacob's voice was eager and enthusiastic. Strange. I'd called him over and over again, but this was a first. I usually had to ring two or three times so he could bother to wake up and drag himself to the phone. And he was never _that _happy...

"Hey Jake, It's me." I said slowly, still confused at his ecstatic voice. I hoped that he might be suffering of a guilty conscience, and was desperate to talk to me so he could apologize for ruining the lives of many, _many _people. Silence followed. Obviously wasn't hoping that _I _was going to call…So maybe he was expecting someone?

"Oh. Hey." He was oddly disappointed, but that only made me angrier. "What do you want Bella?" I was stunned. This wasn't Jacob. The only other time he had acted like this was when he transformed for the very first time. I thought I was the one he could own up to…be himself with. Obviously today had changed things. This couldn't be good.

"Well...you know what happened earlier." I was sounding more frantic, but trying desperately not to babble. "What are we gonna do? And _why _did you leave me earlier!!" I breathed heavily, glaring at a blank spot on the wall, knowing that Edward was probably listening, but would pretend that he hadn't later.

"Bella! Leave it will you. It doesn't matter! I gotta go. Bye." And then he hung up, leaving me talking at a beep. I slammed the phone back on the hanger and stomped up the stairs. Edward was lying on my bed, and grinned when he saw my expression.

"Oh dear! What happened?" he said as I lay down beside him and wrapped my arms around his chest. I grunted angrily, and right on cue he pulled me closer.

"It was Jacob. He's being a jerk.", I muttered. Edward growled and his hands tightened on my skin. So protective….so perfect….

"I should have known it was the pup. I could kill him for hurting you..." He snarled again and I giggled.

"No need. Anyway, _Jacob _isn't what I'm worried about." I shivered, and he sighed.

"Not Lauren again?" I nodded glumly, but the crooked smile that followed made me feel marginally better. "Your over reacting. _As always." _I kicked him, and winced as I hit rock. "Don't worry love, you'll be fine. Now go to sleep. And forget about the _Dog_."

How could I just forget about it? Forget about him? Almost impossible…but it had to be done. Edward would keep me safe, he always did. But could I keep _him_ safe if a higher power got involved? I couldn't of course. Breakable Bella, he always called me. The Volturi could break me in a nanosecond. I had no chance there.

"Edward…?" I mumbled, starting to feel sleep wash over me, though I fought to keep my eyes open.

"Yes?" he replied softly, his voice ringing in my ears.

"Don't leave me…promise that you'll never leave me…"

"I will _never _leave you, I promise with all my heart. Everything will be fine, trust me. Now go to sleep, I love you…"

I smiled at his perfect words, filling me with confidence, closed my eyes, and fell asleep in his perfect, marble, arms.


	4. Chapter 4: School

Today was the day

Today was the day. I had to go to school, same as always. Apart from this time would be different. I had no idea what people would do, after all, it wasn't exactly regular gossip. Usually it was just "Guess who's dating who?" or "Guess which guy got beaten up?", and never "Guess which family are secretly vampires?"… Edward waited for me outside as always, looking normal, relaxed and happy. How could he look so relaxed? This was _his _life on the line after all, and with the biggest gossip in school spreading the news, it would be everywhere before we even arrived. I wished the ride to Forks High would last longer, but with Edward's regular driving speed, before I knew it we were stopped in the car park. This was it. Welcome to hell.

Alice opened my door for me, took my hand and skipped out of the parking space. "_Wow." _I thought, "_Pretty quiet today. Are we early or something?" _It confused me, but a wave of relief spread over my body, it was gonna be ok. No people, no rumours. We could just go to class, and put off facing Lauren for a couple of hours. I stepped out into the parking lot, checked behind me to see if Edward was coming (he was of course), and turned back to the school building.

And that's when it hit me. It was quiet for a reason. They were all here, like every morning, but this time they were silent. They were staring, scrutinizing our every move as we walked to the building. Some people whispered, others ran away, but it was Lauren who came forward, grinning an evil smile.

"Hey Bella," she said fakely. "Is it ok if I talk to you, or will your _boyfriend _here start thirsting for my blood?" She winked, and giggled quickly under her breath. I froze, and Edward gripped onto my hand tightly, but smirked.

"Lauren, you should really stop believing in kids stories. Your 18, grow up." I tried not to laugh when I saw her expression. She was dumbstruck, yet furious at the same time. But this was Edward, he was a pro at dazzling people. She would just eat out of his hand.

"Listen _Edward. _I know that this is true. You and your "family" are always outcasts, so different from the others, and now we know why. It all makes sense. Perfect sense."

Edward didn't seem as taken aback as I thought he would. Well, thats what I would have done. I would have done what I always do, run. Sure, I would have fallen a lot, but it would get me away from her. I gripped onto his hand tighter in fear. He smiled, but I realised too late that he wasn't smiling at me, he was flashing his teeth at Lauren.

"See Lauren. I don't have any fangs, so I _can't_ be a vampire. Now stop making up silly little rumours, and _go away._"

She stopped dead, glared at us, and ran away. Gradually, everyone else turned to walk to first period classes. Of course they had all heard it, and at least Lauren was getting the rap for it all now. Edward turned to me and kissed me lightly.

"See Bella? She can't prove anything, so she'll just get labelled as a rotten liar. And besides...No one can resist my charms." He winked and I rolled my eyes. "My, you _are _stubborn aren't you?" He laughed and wrapped his arm round my waist, and we walked of to English together.

School seemed all right after this. Sure, we had a few people pointing and whispering, but words spread fast in our school, so by break time no one was paying attention to us, and I began to relax. If Edward hadn't been with me earlier, I know for sure that I would have caved in, blurted something out. But he was right, his "charms" had their uses.

My thoughts were ruined by Mike running up to me screaming "BELLA!" at the top of his voice. I groaned. Was he just going to ask more questions- demand some answers? I couldn't put up with any more publicity today. "Bella! Bella! Could you do me a massive favour!?" he asked, panting from the run. I relaxed. I really had to stop using my imagination so much, it wasn't good for me. Maybe he really _did _want a favour?

"Sure Mike, what do you need?" I smiled helpfully, and Edward tutted beside me. Just Jealous, I told myself. But seriously, like Mike was any competition for the Greek God standing next to me.

"Look, sorry to be a pain, but I've left my homework folder in my car, and I gotta run and see Mr. Banner. Could you get it for me so I can have them for trig?" He chucked me his keys, and before I could nod, he had run away. I started slowly towards the car park. I heard Edward's steps behind me, but although I loved him, the footsteps just made me paranoid.

"Edward? Can you wait for me here? I'll only be a sec?"

"Sure." He leaned against the wall, and watched me as I set off for Mike's car. It wasn't hard to recognise. Mike probably had the oldest car in the parking lot, and being bright white, it stood out from the silver's and red's that accompanied most of the other spaces. When I got to the middle of the car park, I heard an ear splitting noise, and I turned around a second too late.

Lauren was driving at me, looking out of her window and chatting on her cell at the same time. Screams would have escaped my mouth but I couldn't think to do so. She was driving at me fast, too fast, and the only thing I could do now was try and run. Then why was I paralyzed to the spot? I forced myself to take a step back, and another, and then...

I tripped. God I hated being clumsy. It had put my life in danger far too many times, and I figured that this time would be the one where I wasn't lucky. Karma was never exactly on my side, not that I believed in anything like that anyway. I flashed back to my first few weeks at school, where I had almost been hit by Tyler's van. I would have shuddered at the thought, but I was still falling. Oh God...I was about to die. No matter how many times you were in this situation, it never got any easier.

But millimetres before I hit the floor, an icy hand grabbed me. Edward had caught me. He held me in one arm and stuck his hand out into the path of the car. It hit him a half second later, and all I heard was the deafening crunch as Edward pummelled his fist into the car, leaving only a deep hand shaped mould in the bonnet.


	5. Chapter 5: Hoax

I took in a deep breath, and sat up slowly, Edward supporting my back and helping me up

I took in a deep breath, and sat up slowly, Edward supporting my back and helping me up. He had saved me again…he must be the worlds most useful boyfriend. He never left my gaze as he stood up, and pulled me to my feet, but then I suddenly remembered what mess we were in, and looked up at the ruined vehicle in front of us.

Lauren bounded out of her car, a huge smile slapped onto her face. Edward looked horrified. "It was all a fix..." he whispered. Then I understood. Everything, from Mike asking me to get his trig homework to Lauren's driving had been an elaborate hoax, just to prove that Edward was really a vampire. And it had worked.

Not only had he ran about 100m in less than a second, he had also stopped a speeding car with his bare hands, and he couldn't deny it. Lauren's car held all the evidence. The fear came rushing back in a sickening motion, and I crumpled back onto the floor, a tear dripping out of my eye. Edwards family could die, and it was all my stupid fault. To let Jacob rattle on so loudly, to walk into an obvious trap, and to not have the right words in me to defend myself.

"YES!" Lauren shouted, punching the air and glaring at Edward with wicked eyes. "I told you I could prove it! Deny it if you want, but I don't think I could stop a car like that, or run from the canteen to here in a split second. I knew it!" She giggled, and went to get her keys from the ignition. Edward snarled, and it was the sudden arrival of Emmett that stopped him from grabbing her then and there.

Jasper arrived next, and promptly punched Laurens car to cover up the damage. But she just kept grinning. "Nice try Dracula, but Mike's got it all on videotape. The arrival of _you _two bloodsuckers just made it even better! Thanks!"

How did she…? Bloodsuckers... I hated that word more than I hated her, but I didn't have time to ponder on it. I turned around to see Alice and Rosalie in place, both snarling at her. Lauren blinked in shock, and for once I actually thought she looked scared. "Go ahead. Kill me if you want- it'll just make the evidence even stronger," she said quickly, her voice faltering, before she ran off to join Mike. We were left standing there in shock. Edward picked me up again and hugged me tightly. This scared me. I had never before seen him in such a mess, so upset.

"We gotta go," he said gruffly, a glare still fixed on his perfect face.

"W..where?" I stuttered, still too worried to talk properly.

"Anywhere. Emmett, grab the car. We're leaving, and I doubt we can ever come back."

Edward dropped me outside my house. They were going to tell Carlilse, get some things, and were coming to get me in around two or three hours. I knew Edward would prefer it if I stayed, in the safety of Forks, but he had left me once, and I wasn't about to let him do it again. I was going with him, and that was final.

Charlie was gonna freak though. "Just tell him we're taking you away for a couple of weeks. We can sort it out from there.." Alice had suggested innocently, like this was all just a family holiday. If only. Alice and Edward wouldn't tell me anything that Alice had seen, so I figured that it had to be bad. Or to do with me. Why was life so hard? I could put up with a family of vampires, but sometimes it was all too much.

Besides freaking out, I had one more job to do before I left. I had to go and see Jacob and make sure that he gave me some answers. He can't stop me if I surprise him, and he would be in school now. Even better. The journey to La Push seemed to take forever, and I constantly expected to see the shiny silver Volvo in my wing mirror, but I guessed they had more important things to worry about. Finally, I pulled up in front of Jake's school.

Although I'd been here before, I felt oddly uncomfortable and unwelcome. Maybe because this time they all knew about my secret, assuming it had spread here as fast as it had in Forks. Every time someone walked past, the same thought whirred through my brain. _Are they staring at me? Oh my God they know all about it... They're definitely staring. What do I do? Do I keep going or hide? _I hated being so paranoid, especially with the downside that every time I looked over my shoulder I would trip. People in La Push must _really _think I'm weird.

I decided not to just simply barge straight into Jake's classroom, and to do it the formal way. The receptionist jumped when she saw me, (again causing me to question who knew and who didnt), and I wished Edward was here, because he would be able to wrap her around his little finger.

"Yes dear?" she said sweetly, and I instantly hated her annoying little shy voice. I smiled innocently though, at least trying to _act _calm, even if my brain was going haywire.

"Hi. Would it be possible for me to speak with Jacob Black briefly?" I said in the most polite way I could attempt. I was sure that if Alice was watching she and Edward would be laughing. A lot.

"Is it an emergency?" Oh crap. I knew how bad I was at lying.

"Um...Yes it is. I really need to see him as soon as possible."

"Ok then, I'll go and fetch him. What's your name?" At first, I was so thrown by the momentous event where I actually successfully told a lie, that I didn't focus on the end of her sentence. My name. I couldn't, just _couldn't _say Bella Swan. Either Jacob wouldn't come, or someone would recognise it and make a comment. Out of haste, I said the first non vampire name that came to mind.

"Lauren Mallory" I said quickly. Why? Why did I have to say _her _name? I sighed, and went ahead with phase two of my "plan". "Sorry, but I'm not feeling great. Could you tell him I'm outside?"

The receptionist nodded and walked off, and I heaved a sigh of relief and sat myself down on a bench in the playground. I was dreading seeing Jacob today, even though I was still wanting to see his face again. Within thirty seconds he came out of the door, and almost ran across the concrete, still staring at the floor. He looked up about a metre in front of me with a big smile on his face.

For a second or two, I thought he was happy to see me. But the moment he realised that it was me, he froze.

"You're not Lauren..." His voice was cold and had an edge to it, all hope gone from his presence. I smirked.

"Well done. I see your powers of awareness are just as sharp as any other day." I said with a smile, desperate for him to stop being so hostile towards me. But he only growled.

"What do you _want _Bella?" he asked through gritted teeth, but sat down next to me, hunching over his shoulders.

"I'm leaving." He looked up for a second, and stared at me with a curious but bored expression. I coughed to regain his attention. "Today, with Edward and his family, and I'm probably not coming back for a while."

He looked blank for a moment, and although I could see the shock in his eyes, he merely shrugged.

"What's it to me Bells?" I couldn't believe it. How could he sound so casual, so uninterested, when I was facing immense danger, and wouldn't see him for months, if not ever again? Something was up with him, and I swore to myself that I would find out.

"Jake! A couple of weeks ago, you were begging me to pick you over Edward, and telling me over and over again that you were in love with me! What the hell happened to you??" I snarled angrily. Jacob Black was a strange thing, though I already knew that.

"You picked _him _Bells. You picked a _leech _over me. And you're not going to change your mind- so why should _I _care."

"Jake! Your still my best friend! And it's because of _you _that we're in this whole mess! Aren't you a _little _bit sympathetic? _Lauren_ has told the whole damn town!" He flinched a bit on the last sentence, but suddenly looked up at me with a huge toothy grin on his face.

"No. I'm not sorry. It had to come out sometime. And as for you and me Bella...well. I don't need to worry about _you _anymore." He smiled again. He was hiding something, and I hated it. I didn't bother replying. I knew that I would just get angry. Instead I just gestured for him to continue.

"Bella. I need to tell you something."

"What _is _it Jake?" I said firmly, finally angry at him. I clenched my fist around the bench, and glared at him with cold eyes.

"Bella. I imprinted."


	6. Chapter 6

"You imprinted

"You _imprinted??" _I whispered, practically speechless. Sure, I knew that this was bound to happen one day, but _now?_ He loved _me _only a few weeks ago! This wasn't fair! My heart ached for a moment, but I was somewhat relieved that he didn't have to worry over me anymore, no matter how I felt, because I had Edward. He sat there, looking at my reaction, staying perfectly calm. "With _who?"_

"Oh come on Bella….even YOU are smarter than this…"

He gestured for me to work it out, and the answer was there before I could even think about it.

"Oh my God Jake. You imprinted on _Lauren??" _My voice was stunned, and Jacob just nodded.

It all suddenly made sense. That was why he was so eager to see me, why he disappeared after seeing her for the first time. That was why Mike and Lauren were able to set up a convincing trap, and make sure that Edward couldn't read their thoughts. Jacob had _helped _them. He had made the situation even worse! I glared at him as I pieced it all together like a Jigsaw puzzle.

"Do you understand now Bells?" He whispered, probably trying to be understanding on my part. He was acting like he was the innocent victim in all this…oh the pain of finding your soul mate…blah blah. Urgh. I just stared at him, the cold expression fixed on my face.

"This is _your _fault. You made them leave. YOU PUT EDWARD'S LIFE IN DANGER!" I shouted, and stood up so quickly that my head spun. But I had no time to hesitate, I just had to get away from him. He followed me as I stormed down the playground. "And it's all because you imprinted on that bitch!" I spat out all the words in pure anger, and he started growling.

"Don't you DARE talk about Lauren like that. Just leave me alone!" He yelled, but I didn't let him say another word.

Without looking back, I turned away from Jacob, and headed back towards my truck. He could have caught up with me easily if he had wanted to, he could have ripped me into shreds before I'd even taken my next step. But I knew Jake, he wasn't one to act on his anger. Knowing him, he would just ignore me for days, weeks, however long it took him to forgive me. Not that I wanted him anyway. Hatred was a strong emotion, but blimey, it was shooting off me from all angles. _How could he!! _He claims he loves me, yet he ruins my life a week later! I could kill him…I really could.

The drive home was worse than the drive up. Then I was nervous, worried, and hesitant. Now I was ready to rip his wolfy throat out. I was too angry to drive properly, so I pushed my truck to it's limits, enjoying the protesting roar it gave off as I stamped on the pedal. I arrived home in record time, and stormed upstairs without a word.

Throwing my things into a bag, I knew it would be unlikely that I ever saw Jake again.


	7. Chapter 7: Leaving

I hated packing

I hated packing. It seemed such a stupid idea, shoving things into a bag, knowing that in an hours time they'll be creased and useless. But this time wasn't a case of wanting to pack, it was a case of having to pack. I refused to be away form Edward again, and this was the only option. If we had to face the Volturi- it would be together.

All thoughts of _Jacob _had been pushed back to the back of my mind. I loathed every inch of him, for even considering deliberately putting Edward in danger, and I promised myself that I would get my revenge. After all, I had a coven of vampires on my side. How hard could it be to take Jacob down?

No...why was I even thinking about this? My hands shook as I forced clothes into a duffel bag, and took out my emergency cash from the sock under my bed. Not that I would need it, knowing Edward he would pay, for absolutely _everything _I needed. And more. Sigh. Why did this have to happen? If only he hadn't opened his mouth, then he wouldn't have seen her, he wouldn't have _helped _her. And this was going to kill Charlie... I hadn't spared him a thought before, but he'd be heartbroken. All alone again...

Shaking my head firmly, I zipped up the bag and ran for the door, only tripping once. I had to do this, for the Cullens, for Edward... Three sharp raps came from the front door, and I just couldn't get there fast enough. But when I did, Edward was waiting, looking panicked and upset. But that still didn't stop me taking in all his purely _perfect _features…He saw my staring and spared a brief chuckle.

"Come on. We haven't got much time." He picked me up and placed me gently in the back seat, sitting protectively beside me. Looking around, I saw everyone, crammed in to the car, scared expressions on every face.

"What's happening?" I whispered, clutching Edward's hand with all force left inside my body. Alice quickly spun round and shot Edward a warning look, and Edward sighed.

"No Alice, I didn't tell her. It's best if she doesn't know." He said quickly, putting his arm protectively round my waist. His voice was stern, and Alice rolled her eyes in exasperation.

"Sheesh Edward, it's nothing to worry about...for now. I promise you, nothing's going to happen to him." Alice said promptly, and I froze in shock. _Charlie. _Why was I so stupid?! He was in danger, we'd left him to fend for himself against... Against the most dangerous force in the Vampire world. I panicked.

"Are you saying...that Charlie...is in danger...from the _Volturi_!!" My voice came out high, and I stared at Edward with petrified eyes. Of course, it would never be as bad of the thought of Edward and his family being in danger, which was currently burning a hole in my brain, but still... Charlie hadn't done anything to deserve this, and had no means of defending himself now his protectors were fleeing the town. I already felt sickenly guilty about leaving him, this just made everything worse.

"Bella, don't worry about it," replied Alice, who was totally at ease. "The Volturi are coming to Forks, but they won't stay for long, and they don't know that you're anything to do with it. Charlie will be fine."

As she spoke I felt a wave of calm sweep over me, courtesy of Jasper. It was so easy to trust her, and I already trusted the Cullen's more than anyone... but what if she was wrong? What if the Volturi changed their mind when it was too late to do anything about it? Forget it, I told myself, Charlie is safe, Charlie is safe, he's safe...

"When did the Volturi find out?" I asked curiously, interrupting the thoughts that were etched into my mind. Edward smiled, obviously relieved that I wasn't freaking out. But then again, he didn't know about my trip to La Push yet...

"They found out a couple of hours ago, when Edward stopped the car. Telling people isn't big enough to alert attention, because most of the time people just laugh...but this time it was obvious, big, and _everyone _saw it, everyone has proof that it's true. That's when the Volturi got angry, and they're swimming across the Atlantic as we speak."

_Swimming across the Atlantic! _I didn't speak, too engulfed in the horror of the situation to ask anymore questions. But obviously, Alice wasn't.

"So Bella...why are you so angry at Jake?" she asked casually with a smirk, ignoring the sudden stares of everyone else in the car. Alice really _was _impossibly annoying at times. Now Edward would be mad. Just what I needed on a roadtrip.

"You went to La Push?" Edward's voice was confused, yet harsh, and I couldn't help but shudder at the tone. He really _hated _Jake, and I guess in the current situation, me visiting him wasn't exactly the best idea.

I just nodded, expecting them to snap at me, but Emmett laughed, and Rosalie and Jasper just shrugged. I would just have to be honest…

"Yes...I did, but I'm _never _going back there again. I _hate _him." My words obviously didn't do the trick, and the Cullens looked even _more _confused. "Jacob imprinted. On _Lauren. _And then he helped her. It's his fault you got found out." There was too much to say, and it was too hard to say what I wanted to say without screaming abuse. He'd hurt me too bad.

Jasper growled angrily at the news, and Edward looked fierce. Vampire fierce.

"I could _kill _that little pup..." he said, his perfect, velvet voice erased by hatred. At least he wasn't mad at _me _anymore. I could only be grateful for that fact alone. Everything else was hell.

That's when I realised, that we had _two _battles against us, and neither of them, would be easy to win. Things could only get worse...


	8. Chapter 8: Journey

Three hours later, it was dark, and I had no idea where we were, or where we were headed

Three hours later, it was dark, and I had no idea where we were, or where we were headed. The journey had been silent, no one wanting to give any information away, and everyone too worried to make conversation. This annoyed me even more. At least with the low, hushed whispers I was used to with the Cullens, you felt a bit more at ease than this. Eventually, my curiosity took over, and I forced myself to break the silence.

"Where _are _we going?"

They all looked surprised, and Rosalie even jumped when I spoke.

"Can't say Bells, sorry," said Alice, who had spent the entire ride in a trance, her eyes closed and her mouth open, tracking the Volturi's decisions.

"But why?" I asked. It was annoying being treated like this. I felt so insignificant being in a car with seven vampires.

"Because the Volturi might have a way of tracking our thoughts, we've got no idea. Best to keep it quiet. _I _don't even know where we are."

I just grunted, and leant into Edwards chest. He chuckled softly, but kept his grip firm on my waist. I wished that I could spend all my time like this, but without the nagging fear that he could die any day now. He seemed to understand what I was thinking.

"Bella, I promise you, I'll be fine, and so will you." I hated the way he sounded so sure, so confident, when it was eating me inside. "We have a hell of a good team here love, we make a pretty good match."

Rosalie snorted, and Edward glared daggers at her. I understood though. This wasn't just another army of newborns or a rogue nomad. This was the _Volturi _for gods sake! They had powers we couldn't even imagine, they would be able to do things we had never even _seen _before. The coven couldn't do _anything _to stop that…

"But what something _does _happen!? What if I lost you?" My voice was barely audible, and every eye met Edwards as they waited for his answer. He opened his mouth, but after a look from Esme, he backed down.

"You should sleep...we've got a long day ahead of us tomorrow."

I sighed, but he stopped me talking by kissing me promptly. Wow. For a moment, my thoughts were erased and I forgot everything but Edward. When he eventually pulled away, my mind returned to me, and I shot him a heavy glare. He laughed loudly, and pulled me closer. I hated how he could always shut me up so easily. Stupid, stupid, Bella. How was it possible to get so carried away in just one kiss?

"Now, are you going to go to sleep, or am I going to have to kiss you again?" he asked with a smirk. He had won, and he knew it. I was dying to feel his icy lips on mine again, but my eyes had already closed.

Edward relaxed his grip, and left me to sleep, but I couldn't. Instead I just listened to the minimal conversations being made. So apparently, it was just me they were worried about talking in front of. Great. After about 10 minutes of pointless banter, Alice spoke.

"Is she asleep?" Her voice was concerned, and I tried to seem convincing. They wouldn't talk if I was awake.

"Yes," said Edward, his voice low and almost silent. "Now, what did you see? And why wouldn't you let me see it?"

Alice had seen something? Was it really that bad? Did she really have to keep it from me? I was part of this family too, almost anyway. Pretty soon I would be one of them, so why was my safety so vital?

"They know she's with us." Alice's voice was pained, and Edward automatically tightened his grasp again.

"They know? But how?"

"I don't know, but they're about to start looking for us, and they're searching for her in particular."

I shivered, but froze, not wanting them to stop talking. After quickly checking to make sure I actually _was _asleep, Edward started shaking, panicked and anxious.

"But why Bella? She hasn't done anything wrong?"

"I know, and so do they I think. They still want us. But they're suddenly interested in Bella. I don't know why." Alice sounded so scared, and I wondered if she'd seen anything else, something she didn't want Edward to know. It must be all too easy to block it out of her mind if it was _that _bad.

No one else spoke, Edward still hugging me close, and eventually I did fall asleep, but I had the worst nightmare I could ever imagine.


	9. Chapter 9: Nightmare

As my eyes focused and adjusted to the surrounding, I was able to see exactly where I was

As my eyes focused and adjusted to the surrounding, I was able to see exactly where I was. I was standing in a dark room, no windows, and no furniture. Edward stood beside me, looking utterly Godlike as usual, but his expression was pained, disturbed. I wanted desperately to ask him what was wrong, but for some reason, I couldnt speak. My body seemed frozen to the spot, and all I could really do was just look around. I glimpsed down to the dusty floorboards for a second or two, and when I looked up the scene had completely changed. It was still the same room, but this time it was filled with a mass of Cloaked Figures. The Volturi. Two of them held Edward in an iron grasp, and the rest gathered around me, laughing at my expression.

I recognised Jane as the one who stepped forward, never breaking eye contact.

"You must choose Bella. Edward or you. Edward or you."

They laughed, and I realised that one of us was going to die. And they were making _me _decide. Edward didn't speak, he just stared at me as he was pulled away.

"Edward!" I called after him. Why were they taking him away? I hadn't said anything... "EDWARD!"

And then I woke up.

I was back in the car again, but it was light outside, and Edward was smiling with an amused look. Oh no. Was I talking in my sleep? I guess they _all _heard it this time...

"Did I...?" I asked, but Edward shook his head.

"No, you didn't say a thing. It was your expression that did it today." He chuckled, and pulled me onto his lap, keeping his arm around me. "I haven't been so entertained at night for years…almost 100 actually." I rolled my eyes, only imagining the ghastly faces I might have pulled during my nightmare.

"You should learn to entertain yourself a bit more then…" I murmured, too drowsy to be serious. At that moment Carlisle pulled the car to an abrupt halt, causing several bumps in my direction.

"We're here," Carlisle said swiftly, and glided outside to open the doors for the rest of us.

It was only now that I dared to look outside the window, expecting….something bad I guess, but it was pretty normal. I was expecting fields, emptiness, or something similar. Just not here. We were in a large town, parked in the middle of an average looking parking lot. People were walking to and fro on their daily business, and I wondered exactly why Carlisle had chosen _here_ to hide. It was so _normal. _I don't know where I thought we were headed, but in my mind it was somewhere empty, deserted, and inhabitable. This place just confused me even more.

"Why…." I began to ask, but Edward promptly placed a cold hand over my mouth, shaking his head calmly. I understood. If the Volturi had some new talent on their side, anything could lead them to us.

"I'll explain later love, I promise." Edward whispered, as he hurried me out of the car, and began to follow the rest of the family.

Carlisle led us at a quick pace (human speed, obviously). I suppose this was like power walking, but without the power, in my case. As the family easily walked on, I struggled to keep up, tripping and stumbling every few metres. Luckily, Edward was there to catch me every time I fell. I swear, if I had never met Edward, I would have fallen of a cliff months ago.

"Is this it?" Esme asked cautiously, pointing to a boarded up apartment block in a dodgy looking area. I looked around cautiously, jumping every time I saw a figure in the distance. Overly paranoid, especially with all the vampires around, but this wasn't where I usually spent time.

"Yes," replied Carlisle. "We're headed down there."

He gestured towards the staircase next to the door, and as we climbed down the steps, Edward had to physically pick me up so I wouldn't fall on the broken glass. The wooden door was locked tight, and I sighed out of habit. Everyone laughed.

"Case you hadn't noticed Bella, you swing with Vampires now!" laughed Emmett, and took a step back, before forcing himself through the door, and inside. I giggled weakly before following them into the room.

It seemed to be just a basement suite of the complex, but it was obvious why no one was staying here. All the furniture was gone, and the only things left were fast food wrappers and empty bottles, that littered the matted carpet. Each window had been boarded up, and as I gazed around Emmett was already constructing a replacement door out of the one he had already destroyed. Obviously, Jasper sensed my disgust with the room.

"Don't worry Bella...easily done!" he said with a smile, and before I blinked the Cullens were racing around the room, collecting rubbish and chucking it out of the door. Before 10 seconds had passed, the room was clean, and the door had been shoved back in the frame. We were practically in perfect darkness, and I had to squint to make out the seven figures in the room.

"Bella?" asked Edwards sweet voice. "Why are you looking at me like that?" He appeared by my side, and I could just make out his perfect features.

"It's dark."

He laughed softly. "Oh right...I forgot you had less than average eyesight."

"Excuse me, I have _average_ eyesight thanks very much- it's you guys with the _abnormal_ eyes that should be complaining!"

Chuckling softly under his breath, Edward scooped me off my feet, and sat on the floor. The rest of the Cullen's had spread themselves around the room, sitting in couples, but I still couldn't make out who was who.

"We might be here for a while." he whispered softly into my ear, and I sighed heavily. The thought of Charlie scared senseless at home didn't make things any easier. If I came back alone...I shuddered at the thought. I would have no one. Charlie wouldn't talk to me, Jacob would be with Lauren, and I would go back to the spiral of depression I had plummeted into last fall. If they died, my life would be over.

"The Volturi...they're in Forks." Alice's soft, panicked voice echoed round the empty room, and seven pairs of eyes stared at her. "They're deciding whether or not to look North or South...I don't think they've discovered our trail."

Carlisle sighed in relief, and I dared myself to smile, but Alice hadn't finished yet.

"Wait. Something's changed their course. They're headed for La Push..."

"_What??" _I exclaimed, starting to panic again. Although I was hating Jacob currently- he didn't deserve to die.

"Yes...They bumped into that Mike Newton, tapped into his head I think. Gave them all the information they needed."

Edward lifted up his head in shock.

"So they know it was Bella too?" he asked, his eyes wide and his clutch on my arm tightening. I shivered, I hadn't thought about that.

"I'm afraid so, but they can't track you Bella, like we discovered in Italy. But if they can't find you at home, then..."

"At home?" I burst out? "They're going to my house? You told me Charlie would be fine! Oh god... I can't believe this! I should have stayed behind... Charlie can't die!" I know it was stupid, but I still panicked, and Alice swiftly appeared and placed an icy finger to my lips.

"Relax, and let me finish. They _will _look at home, but only when Charlie's at work. They're trying to be sly here, not trying to draw attention to themselves."

I nodded, my heart still pounding in my chest. "Then what?"

"When they can't find you...they start the search. If they don't find our trail, then they plan to hunt up and down until they find us. They reckon we'll keep moving."

I saw the family heave a sigh of relief at the news, but everyone seemed so much more protective. Alice and Jasper clung to each other, and Emmett stayed hovering behind Rosalie's shoulder. Only Carlisle and Esme seemed relaxed, but they still didn't move from each others sides.

We hardly moved for the rest of the day- and the night. Everyone flinched at the slightest noise from outside, and no one dared talk any louder than a whisper. All eyes were on Alice, who was having trouble, because the Volturi were changing there mind frantically. Every so often they thought of ideas that would lead them to us, and Alice would gasp at the images.

"Currently," Edward whispered in my ear, making me jump. "The Volturi are planning on going to Denali, and force Tanya's family to tell them where we are."

"Do they _know _where we are?" I whispered back frantically. I knew of the Volturi's torture methods. I had seen it performed on Edward last year. Jane's "gift" was not one to be laughed at.

"No. Well I highly doubt it anyway. Carlisle only told them we were leaving."

I relaxed again, but the idea that the Volturi were willing to search the world in order to find us, _me _in particular, made me feel sick. How many times could Edward possibly save me before his life was put in danger? It was too much to ask for now, because this was partially my fault. I couldn't stand it. The tension, the uncertainty from Alice's visions, and the sickening knowledge that Jacob and _Lauren _made this all happen. I could kill her, I could kill _both _of them. If I had a chance against Jacob….I would try.

"Wait…" I asked, suddenly remembering what Alice said earlier. "What happened when the Volturi went to La Push?"

Edward smiled slightly, and picked me up onto his lap. "They weren't aware that Jacob was a dog, and they certainly didn't know about the pack. Took them by surprise, and it got two of their guard killed. They backed off after that, but they're still making plans to get revenge. It won't be pretty" He smirked.

The next night, something took me by surprise. Every vampire in the room had pure black eyes. Obviously, they hadn't hunted for days.

"Edward, you need to hunt." I begged him. Although they didn't scare me, I wasn't willing to sit in a boarded up room with _seven _bloodthirsty vampires.

"That's a good idea," Alice chipped in. "The Volturi are somewhere in the south, they won't notice if we hunt for a couple of hours." The rest of the Cullen's nodded in agreement.

"Even so, I think someone should stay here with Bella. It's too dangerous to leave her alone. I'll stay, she's safest with me," Edward said firmly, and I was secretly relieved. I didn't want to stay all by myself in this dump.

"Fine by me," nodded Alice, and she stood up in one swift motion. Before I could blink, they were out of the door, and Edward and I were alone. It wasn't the type of alone I liked with Edward. We were scared, silent, and I couldn't see much more than a metre in front of me.

An uncomfortable half hour later, Edward stiffened. "There's two men outside. I think they're looking for somewhere to spend the night. If you're quiet, and follow me, we can get into the back room and they won't make a scene."

I nodded, and let Edward pick me up and glide across to the far room. It was even darker than the first one, and the carpet in here had long since worn away. When Edward put me down, the floorboards creaked, and I would have screamed in shock, if Edward hadn't clamped his hand firmly over my mouth. I hated the suspense, hearing the two guys hammering on the door trying to get in. Sheesh…how firm did Emmett have to make that thing? Eventually, we heard them walk away, and I removed my head from Edward's chest. My eyes gradually adjusted to the surroundings

And then I realised.

I was standing in the room from my dream.


	10. Chapter 10

It didn't quite register at first, but once I'd had a chance to look around, I was completely sure

It didn't quite register at first, but once I'd had a chance to look around, I was completely sure. Everything was the same, from the dusty floorboards and the lack of furniture to Edward standing beside me. We were standing in the same space, he was looking at the same spot on the wall. It was _too _similar. I wanted to scream, tell him we needed to leave _now, _because if the dream was true, the worst was already happening. But Edwards icy hand stayed clamped over my mouth, and every time I tried to move he clutched onto my arm to bring me closer to him. Stupid, protective, vampire boyfriend.

"Stop fidgeting Bella! They may not have gone!" he whispered harshly in my ear, and I rolled my eyes and fixed a heavy glare at him, trying to make him see the panic in my eyes. _Why couldn't he read my stupid thoughts! _A tear was trickling down my face, and I was more scared now than I ever had been in my entire life. More scared than I had been in Italy, more scared than I had been with Victoria...

"Bella love? What is it? There's no need to be sca-..." He cut off swiftly, and his eyes widened, before quickly scanning the room. Was this it? Did he know that they were here? Were they close enough for him to read their thoughts?

I knew there were no windows, and the door wasn't safe to go through. Panicking, I scanned the floor, looking for a secret trapdoor, though I knew that it was just wasting my time.

But then Edward let go of my arm, and I knew that it had happened. Glancing up, I saw the overly familiar hoard of cloaked figures, surrounding the room, blocking the only exit.

"Hello Bella."

I jumped, and Jane's cold laughter echoed around the room. I grabbed for Edward desperately, but my hand clasped around air, the dust swirling madly around my fingertips. Looking around quickly, I saw that Demetri and Felix held Edward firmly, and he knew better than to try and escape.

"So," continued Jane. "From what we hear, _certain_ people were involved in a little upset. Would you care to venture what happened?"

Edward growled. "You know what happened Jane, now get to the point." I saw him wince in pain as Felix's grip tightened on his arm, and my eyes started watering again. I'd never really seen him hurt before, I never even thought it possible…

"Well Mr. Cullen, if you know your facts so well, could you explain why the vampire's only law had been broken only a couple of days ago? That's a pretty big offence…" She smiled at her own wickedness, and I pondered on whether or not to make a break for the door. But I wouldn't make it, and I couldn't leave Edward.

"That wasn't Bella, I swear to God it wasn't. It was that _mutt..._" He swore under his breath, and his eyes flashed to mine with a sympathizing look. How could anyone fill a gaze with so much love, yet so much sadness.

Demetri scoffed back at him. "We're dealing with the dog, but we have to get even with _everyone _involved so..." Jane cut him off with a cough.

"Yes, as Demetri rightly said, now we give you a pretty simple choice Bella...seeing as you are _still _not yet one of us..."

So this was it. That dream had been all true, and I was in the same situation, but at least this time I _knew _what was coming. Remembering my ordeal, I shook my head violently, and sobbed. "Please don't make me choose...I can't, I really _can't._"

At that moment every head turned and gawped in my direction. I remembered that none of them knew about my dream, and this must be sounding horribly strange to everyone else. But I may have done the right thing, because for a second, Jane looked interested.

"You _know?_ Well, that makes you a lot more..._interesting_ than we thought. Felix, what do you think? Plan B?"

That made me shudder. That wasn't it? It was bad enough that I had Edward's life hanging on a thread before my eyes, but they weren't just going to leave it at that? But Felix just laughed, clutching Edward so hard that he cried out in pain.

"Plan B sounds, _excellent _to me Jane. You take the girl, and we'll keep hold of Mr Cullen here."

My eyes widened as Edward was dragged backwards and out the door. "Edward!" I screamed. "EDWARD!"

Then I felt the pain. Sharp, horrible pain in every place of my body. Jane was using her power on me, Jane was _torturing _me. And she was enjoying it.

"Looks like she's _not _immune to my power after all. How fascinating. Marcus, grab Miss. Swan. Things have just got _very _interesting..."


	11. Chapter 11: Italy

The circle closed in on me, and I didn't have time to panic

The circle closed in on me, and I didn't have time to panic. Marcus's arms wound around mine, and I was dragged across the floor for a few metres, until he picked me up in one clean, swift motion.

"What's plan B..." I whispered, terrified of the answer, but desperate to know. If it was as bad as what I was imagining, then it would probably be best to be prepared. Jane flashed a smile at me, her eyes filled with un-natural hatred.

"Don't worry Bella, you're going to find that out very soon. _Very _soon," she said wickedly, with an added chuckle from Caius, who I realised hadn't spoken at all this evening. I hadn't even noticed he was there.

My thoughts flashed back to the others. Would the Volturi capture them too? It wouldn't be too hard if they were hunting, but Alice would have seen this…wouldn't she? Why didn't she see it before? Running was no good against the Volturi, everyone knew that they'd catch you, and the punishment would probably be worse if you tried. As I flashed back to Edward's hurt eyes as Demetri dragged him away from me, a tear ran down my cheek. That could have been the last time I saw Edward… and I didn't even get to kiss him goodbye.

I got too carried away in the memories, carried away in the situation that I'd put him in. My fault. I was so caught up in everything, I didn't even notice when Marcus smashed through the door and ran out into the night…

…I was being carried somewhere, but the Volturi moved too fast to tell where I was going. Italy, I presumed. Now they had me, I couldn't think of anyway how I could be saved, and my death seemed to lurch closer every second. But what was Plan B? Was it worse than death, or would it potentially save my life? Knowing the Volturi, it would be worse. They were ruthless creatures, cruel, and knew no restraints. What was once a society based on rules had turned into murder.

We stopped, and I was dumped on the ground so suddenly that I fell on my leg, and cursed as I hit the floor. Just a sprain probably, but still something to stop me running away.

"Do you think we can make it across?" A male voice asked, but my face was pressed against the ground, so I couldn't make out who.

"Of course, but both of you carry her. Not much point in her dying _before_ we get there," replied Jane, and the rest of the guard laughed. I couldn't help but shudder. It was then that I realised where I was- we were on a beach, and I was being forced into the sand by someone's foot. I couldn't believe it! They were planning on _swimming_ me to Italy.

I choked in fear. It would be all too easy to fall off and drown, and knowing me, it would happen. They were still arguing, and the person on my back eased off to shout something harsh at Jane, turning his back on me. They were huddled in a circle, and no one was looking my way. I sat up slowly, and still no one looked. I could do it… I could escape…

"What do we do when we get there? It'll be daytime…" Jane's comment caused a lot more harsh murmurs from the guards, and I took this as my chance. Not looking back, I stood up and ran. I limped and tripped, but I didn't care. All my energy was just focused on the running.

Of course, mere seconds later I was grabbed again. Caius's face glared deep into mine, and he slapped me hard across the cheek. The only comfort was knowing that he didn't slap harder, because he had the power to kill me with one blow.

"Nice try Bella, but it's time to leave now. Marcus and Caius will take you…" Jane said with a smile, and on cue I was lifted on top of them, one arm around each shoulder. They ran into the water, and I didn't even realise we'd left the beach until all I could see was the blue around me. The experience was stunning, yet more scary than dodging the trees on Edward's back. Water sprayed up around me, but we were moving so fast I didn't even get wet. I was feeling sick about ten minutes in, and I knew I should close my eyes, but I couldn't.

A few hours later we'd arrived, and I was dumped once again on the shore, where I sat there shuddering and panting. Then I was struck by the heat, and the sunlight. Remembering my company, I shot my head up, immediately wishing that I hadn't. Although the heavy cloaks covered almost all their skin, their faces were shining brightly, and I didn't even know who was who anymore. They began whispering angrily again, and I didn't dare move, the bruise from the last attempt sore on my face.

Marcus still loomed over me, being more careful this time. His face was hard and emotionless, but there was something there that he wasn't letting out, something that none of the Volturi seemed to possess. His crooked features made him appear so much older than the others, even though I knew he'd been about thirty for hundreds and hundreds of years. In the end, I broke his gaze feeling awkward. My emotions were already running wild, and I had no intention of making it worse.

I noticed that Caius was talking quickly to the others, too quiet and fast for me to make out every word, but I heard the only word I didn't want here. "Cullens…"

This could mean anything though, I guessed, but being me I assumed the worst. They could have captured them, be looking for them, or they might not even be alive any more. And Edward… Could he be in Volterra as well? Or could he be somewhere else, suffering, hungry… dying? I had to force myself to block out the image, because even the thought caused the tears to start streaming again.

"We better go Marcus, it's nearly 5am," Jane whispered, glancing at me with cold eyes. Marcus nodded, and I was once again swung onto his back. We ran, faster than we had done before, faster than Edward could. Adrenaline was pumping through my body, but my head was screaming at me that I had to stop, even though I couldn't. Every time we neared a town, they would be more assertive, checking everywhere for witnesses. Necessary, because all members of the guard glistened in the flashing sunlight. We didn't meet anyone for the first hour or so of the journey, thankfully. It wasn't until _late_r, that we actually found one.

She must have been only about twelve or thirteen, and was harmlessly playing in the woods. She was a perfect picture of innocence, blonde, pretty and happy. They could have just ran past, and she wouldn't have noticed, but the Volturi stopped dead in their tracks, before she had time to gasp at the sight. When she did, I knew that she had no chance, not even enough time to run away. Marcus didn't drop me, but nodded the signal to the rest of the guard. Before I blinked, they had surrounded her, and she screamed. I now know why Edward wouldn't let me watch him hunt.

It all happened too quickly. When they pulled back, I retched at the sight. She had been drained of all fluid left in her body, and her sweet face was now dry, pale, and frozen in shock. It was wrong. She was young, and definitely didn't deserve to die. How could anyone do that to someone like her? _Anyone _even… At this point, I admired the Cullen's more than ever, and loathed the Volturi with every bit of goodness I had in my body. But I wasn't exactly prepared for what was about to happen. Of course, I had forgotten Edward's warning from when we had first met.

I had forgotten the aftermath.

As I looked up at the approaching guard, I noticed the lust in their eyes…and they were headed straight for me.


	12. Chapter 12: Welcome to Volterra

I didn't know what to do, and it all seemed to be happening so quickly

I didn't know what to do, and it all seemed to be happening so quickly. Once they'd caught a glimpse, caught my scent, they were powerless to stop it. Marcus was holding me tightly, protecting me against them, but not because he was helping me. He wanted to bring me back _alive_. Jane had a thin trickle of blood dripping down her cheek, and I shuddered at the sight. They were whirring around me, teasing me, playing with their food, and I didn't even have the strength to scream.

"Bella….hey Bella…." Said a women who I hadn't seen before, but she looked just as lethal, if not worse than all the other members of the guard. She licked her lips greedily, and took a step forward. The space between us was miniscule, her breath blowing onto my face.

"STOP IT!" Yelled Marcus, a look of disgust on his curious face. "Aro wants her _alive_, we have to follow the plan..."

This only stopped Caius and Jane, who both blinked in surprise and went to join us, still glaring at me with blood red eyes. I thought of Edwards eyes in soft butterscotch, and smiled, but the feeling didn't last long. Jane pushed the female vampire aside, growling under her breath. Ironic that she had been just the same only seconds ago. The other vampires still couldn't be seized. One of them came close to me, baring his white teeth, and lunging at his prey. My mind was screaming _run, run, move, anything! _But I was petrified to the spot, watching in horror as they advanced even closer.

At this point, Caius lifted me up, and ran. I was hurled through the trees, terrified, but all I hit was the roaring winds. We ran to a clearing, free of animals, humans, and anything. As the remaining Volturi caught up, Jane unleashed the full force of her talent. They screamed, and huddled into balls on the floor, in agony. This continued until Marcus nodded, and Jane apruptly stopped. By the look of it, the thirst for my blood had momentarily died, but I knew it must still be hard to be around me. They weren't vegetarians after all.

We were back on the road swiftly after that, hoping to reach Volterra before the city awoke. Once or twice they stopped as a human walked past, not wanting to go through the same issues as the last "snack break" the Volturi had taken. This wasn't the issue. The issue was when they finally got to Volterra.

I was taken aback at first, because seeing the plaza made me remember the last time. Running through the fountain, screaming for Edward... it just brought back bad memories...

This time, the square wasn't crowded, but there were a group of tourists, standing by the fountain, obviously waiting for a tour guide to take them out for the day. I pitied them, they had no way of escaping their fate. If something stood in-between the Volturi and their goal, they couldn't be stopped.

"What do we do? We can't move through, they'll see us, and there's more people round the back entrance," Marcus whispered harshly, but was interrupted by a figure leaning over him. I recognised her as Heidi, whom was known as the "bait" for their little operations.

"I see you brought the Swan girl back with you. Aro _will _be pleased… He's been hoping that you'd make some use of her. And what did you do with the coven?"

"We took care of them…." Muttered Caius, looking her in the eye with a slight smile. It was like I was missing some inside joke, some secret scheme that they had in mind which I wasn't allowed to know about. Heidi laughed, and turned to face the whole group, her face sparkling in the bright sun.

"This, my friends, is _my_ part to play in the…operation. Watch and learn…" Heidi said wickedly, and took one step into the plaza.

I watched, horrified as the group stopped to stare at the strange, sparkling being that was gliding toward them, an overly friendly smile on her beautiful face.

"Welcome. My name is Heidi, and I'll be your tour guide for the day." Her voice was so confident, that the tourists stopped gazing at her curious appearance, and nodded, as if they had been hypnotised. "Do we have everyone with us?"

They nodded again and she beamed warmly. "Very good, now would you care to follow me to the first destination of the day, Volterra!"

They followed her like she was the pied piper, staring at her with adoring eyes as she walked gracefully towards the entrance to the headquarters, back through the alley where I had stopped Edward from dying… She beckoned for us to follow, and I was sickened by the thought of what was to come. I had heard the screams last time…and I had no wish to hear them again.

It was the same as it had been last time, apart from I was lowered down the hole this time, instead of being forced to jump. Gianna, the receptionist, was still here, and still human. Her face lit up in surprise when she recognised me, but sat there attentively, not wanting to slip up in front of Marcus and Caius.

"Hello Gianna," said Jane, softly. "Is Aro here? We brought back the girl."

She shook her head. "He left about five minutes ago. Hungry, I think. I don't think he'll be much longer."

Jane tutted, and turned back to Marcus, looking angry. "What do we do without him? He wont like it if we don't leave him any of _those _either…" she whispered, pointing at the crowd of people in matching yellow t-shirts. Heidi was still entertaining them, and all of them were busy taking pictures.

"They can all wait downstairs until he gets back. We have room."

Heidi heard this, of course, and seized her chance instantly.

"If you would like to follow me, I can show you to oldest part of the building…" she said, leading the guests down a small staircase in the corner of the room. Marcus followed her, still carrying me with a tight grip. My instincts wanted me to attack, bite, pinch- anything, but it would do me no good. I'd learnt about that after trying to punch Jacob, and I knew that the Volturi would be infinitely worse.

As the staircase went lower, the light became dimmer, and the modern touch of the reception was long lost. Here, the walls were made of grey stone, and had obviously been kept this way for many years. My eyes widened as I realised where I was. The Volturi's own private dungeon… The tourists had already been trapped, and were still snapping photos, not entirely aware that they were actually locked inside. Marcus hastily dumped me in the cell next to it.

"We'll let you out when Aro arrives," he said promptly, locking the door in a quick blur, and disappearing back upstairs.

The cold cell was uninviting, unfriendly, and no doubt horrific. There was no way out, no where to go, and nothing to do.

For the first time since Edward had returned, I was left alone.


	13. Chapter 13: Alone

I remained in the gloomy cell much longer than expected

I remained in the gloomy cell much longer than expected. It wasn't the few minutes that Gianna had promised, it was at least a half hour, and my nerves were finally getting to me. I was supposed to be at home in Forks with Edward, living a normal life. Instead, I was in a _dungeon_, on the other side of the world, kept hostage by the most dangerous vampires in the entire world… My emotions weren't helped by the sobs coming from next door. The tourists had cracked, and were begging, shouting for help, and crying their eyes out.

"It's OK…" I assured them. "You're going to be fine." It wasn't true, but I was willing to do anything to make them feel better. At least _I _had a rough idea of what was going on.

"But how do you know? Why did they lock us in here? Why did they lock _you _in here?" said a man, probably the youngest of the group, around 20. He was the only one calm enough to talk to me, and was most un-helped by my constant reassuring.

"I don't know, I'm sorry, but I promise you'll be fine. They locked me up because of an…incident. But I can't tell you about it, or you might get hurt. I'm sorry."

It wasn't working, so I slumped back down into the corner of the cell. There was nothing I could do for them…so why was I even trying?

Heidi reappeared a couple of minutes later, and as she walked down the steps at human pace, the corridor turned to a deathly silence, and all eyes gazed into hers.

"My goodness! I apologise, friends. I had to book your next trip, and forgot that I had left you down here. These doors are old, and lock far to easily. I really am very, very, sorry."

I cursed silently, begging them not to believe her, to at least try to escape. If they all ran in different directions, there was the chance that one or two would make it out alive. But of course, they all fell at Heidi's feet, forgiving her instantly, and doing whatever she told them. The man I had spoken to grinned at me, not even caring why I was here. He was free now, that was all that mattered t him.

"Now, do follow me, and we'll head to our next stop." The tourists hurried up the stairs, running away from the prison, but running to their deaths. Heidi stayed with me. "Aro has returned. We will see to you shortly." With a smirk, she vanished up the stairs.

Even a floor below, the screams were all crystal clear.

Could they be planning on giving me the same end? Was this an elaborate game that they were playing, toying with me, and messing with the Cullens? All I could do was wait, and it was the waiting that was getting to me. Because I didn't even know what I was waiting for, and that just made it so much worse. And the worst part was the fact that if I hadn't mentioned me changing to Jacob, I would be in Edward's arms right now…

The silence was getting to me too. I could only hear my own heart beat, and my heavy breathing. I think I may have preferred the tourists. The silence was becoming unbearable, the tension in the room building until my heart hammered uncontrollably.

It was at that moment that I heard movement coming down the stairs. This was it. Aro had sent for me, and my life could well be over. I'd had a good run at least. My life would have ended a long time ago if I hadn't been careful. It had to end someday at least. Now seemed a pretty reasonable time, at least I was happy. And I would die in the hands of vampires, so at least it matched up with my life plans. But I was never going to see Charlie, or Renee again. Or Jacob. I wasn't sure about Jacob anymore. He had betrayed me, and me caused to be here, but he was still my best friend, and I don't think that anything would change that. But he had Lauren now. I was just a blurred old memory in the back of his head. I sighed, this was going to be hard. But I had to go down with honour. My death would be remembered…

Then I realised that no time had past, and I didn't even know who was coming for me. Felix appeared first, looking menacing, but not meeting my gaze, just glaring down the corridor. To my surprise, he walked straight past my cell, and kept walking.

What I saw next made me gasp.

Behind Felix was Demetri, and he had another prisoner with him…

…Edward.

He walked slowly, with the most horrible expression on his face. He was sad, pained, but lonely, and it looked as if all light had been ripped out of his life. His angelic face was now bruised and beaten, and his clothes had been ripped. He looked more like a prisoner than a god, but it didn't matter. He was still insanely beautiful, and he was still mine.

He didn't turn when I gasped, he just kept his eyes on the stone floors, walking at a human pace. He only realised I was there when I ran up to the bars of the cell, just when he was walking past. When he saw me, he looked shocked, happy, but even sadder. Seeing me in a prison cell probably didn't help anything, but at least I saw him, my love was a metre away from me...

"Bella," he whispered, still stunned, and he stopped walking to reach for my hand. Promptly, Demetri hit him round the face, and he winced in pain. A tear dribbled down my face, and I hastened to wipe it away.

"Edward. Are you allright?" I asked stupidly. Of course he wasn't, and I only had seconds. Demetri was forcing Edward to walk, forcing him to leave me.

"Bella, you'll be OK, I promise, you'll be fine." He sounded so unsure, and that's what made it worse. He knew what was going to happen to me, and he chose not to tell me. But him saying those words made everything better, it gave me hope. I watched as he was pushed further and further away, never once breaking my gaze.

"I love you," I whispered softly, and when he smiled briefly before vanishing, I knew he had heard me.

But what had happened to the rest of them? They would have been caught of guard when they were hunting, another stupid idea of mine. Were they here? Trapped in a dungeon like I was... It would be better if they were, at least we would all be together again. And Edward was alive, thank God.

I didn't have enough time with my thoughts, because Felix and Demetri appeared in front of me. Was the human speed before solely for my benefit? Probably just to show off Edward's capture- for me to see his hurt face. The two of them smirked at me through the bars, before unlocking it in a swift motion. Felix grabbed me violently, harsher than Marcus had on the journey. As I cried out in pain, they laughed harder, enjoying it.

"Come on _Bella,_ Aro wants to talk to you..." Felix said with a snarl, picking me an inch or two above the floor and walking. I thought of all the bruises that I'd have to explain when I got home, _if _I got home. Because even if I escaped the Volturi, the whole of Forks knew about Edward- so could I _ever_ go back?

They walked faster, not quite vampire speed, but still pretty fast. We whirred through the reception area and back into the all too familiar hall. But this time, it made me feel sick. Scattered across the floor were ripped shreds of yellow t-shirt, and I sniffed out of pure disgust and loathing. I at least, would try and die with more dignity.

As Felix dropped me, I missed my footing, and crumpled onto the floor, cursing aloud as I landed on my left foot. Obviously, running was out of the question. The Volturi laughed at me, still huddled up on the floor, but everyone was silenced when Aro stepped forward. He looked at me with evil eyes, and a twitch of a smile in the corner of his mouth.

"Bella, Bella, Bella. _What_ are we going to do with you...?"

I shot him a fierce glare, but he just laughed again. Why was it so easy to hate these vampires? They had the potential to be good, be like the two vegetarian clans, but they didn't.

"My, you _are _stubborn. I was informed of this, but never really believed it." He chuckled to himself, and I scowled again. He was enjoying this, too much. Joking didn't seem appropriate when you're surrounded by murderous vampires.

But then I twigged. _How did he know I was stubborn?_ Sure, I was, and I'll happily admit it. I mean, Edward's told me enough times. But Aro? He said that someone informed him of the fact, but who could of told him? Luckily, my expression showed him my thoughts straight out.

"I guess your wondering how I know so much about you? Lets just say I've recently acquired a very personal source."

"Who?!" I blurted out, without thinking. Felix glared down at me and tightened his grip, and I squealed in pain. Someone was betraying me, betraying all my secrets. I had to know them, but I doubted it was someone I liked. Lauren again…probably. As if she hadn't done enough.

"See for yourself..." he said, gesturing behind him. I looked up quickly, not knowing what I would see, not knowing who I was even looking for.

Unfortunately, I found them straight away, and it was definitely _not _the people I wanted to see.

"No..." I whispered, staring dumbstruck at the figures in the shadows.

There, standing behind Aro, in matching Volturi cloaks, were Alice, Jasper, Rosalie, Emmett, Carlisle and Esme.

There was no getting out _now_...

**Hey. Thanks for all reviews and comments so far ******** Much appreciated. For those who were wondering, Bella isn't immune to Jane's power for no particular reason, and as this is set after eclipse, this was never really proved until BD. This isn't effective to the plot, it just makes Jane a bit more powerful against her.**

**And also….what I'm posting now is just what I'd already written from fanlib. There's about 5 more chapters until I need to start writing more…so any ideas and suggestions are welcome :D**

**Thanks xx**


	14. Chapter 14: Flying

I blinked a few times, hoping to erase the six figures and replace them with new ones, with strangers

I blinked a few times, hoping to erase the six figures and replace them with new ones, with strangers. But no, they were still standing there. I couldn't even pretend that they were too far away to see properly, because even in the murky shadows of the room, their features stood out shockingly: Alice's spiky hair, Emmett's muscular figure…at least their eyes were still the familiar topaz shade I loved….but _still._

How _could_ they? The Volturi? They were _afraid_ of the Volturi, and now all of a sudden they've joined them? It just didn't make any sense, but I couldn't think up any explainable reasons as to why they were here. My only hope of getting out, what with Edward trapped, was the rest of the Cullen's, and now they were going to make it even harder to make it out of here alive.

"Shocked?" asked Aro, smirking quietly. "They make up a _very _important part of our guard, and it's all thanks to you Bella. If it wasn't for your little slip up, then we would be lacking certain talents."

I glared spitefully, at Aro, and at the Cullen's. Traitors, betrayers… They gave up too easily, they need to fight to win…

"Alice?" Aro continued, turning to face her. "Is our plan going to work?" I watched in shock as Alice's eyes glazed over, the way they always did when she had a vision.

"Yes," she said. "It will work."

Her voice shocked me even more. It was Alice's voice, but it wasn't _Alice_. All the fun, bubbly aspects that made up her character had vanished. It was now emotionless, cold, and plain, like an empty shell, missing the soul inside. God, had the Volturi developed some sort of soul-sucking powers? Man this was out of control…

"Very Good." Aro paused for a second, turning to face me with terrifying eyes. They bore into mine, scarring my brain and burning into my mind. Shuddering, I took a brief step backwards, but couldn't. Demetri was obviously expecting sudden movements.

"Now. You found out about our secret a couple of years ago. Since then, you promised us _twice_ that you would be transformed, become one of us. It seems you have lied to us Miss. Swan. You are as human now as you ever will be. And then, you blurt out the secret to awaiting human ears. I have no reason to trust you Bella, you have betrayed our society, and lied to the Volturi."

I shuddered, each harsh word that escaped his lips seemed to attach itself to me, and although I knew he was trying to mess with my emotions, it still hurt. Hearing again that I had spilled the secret of the vampires made the guilt come rushing back. I felt sick.

"The most obvious answer was to kill you, and that was our plan. But Jane told me that you had a dream…a prediction? Somehow you knew what was coming, and I find that _very _interesting. We have a new option now, and I believe that this is what you wanted all along? We're going to _use _you instead…"

I gasped, the air catching in my throat. They were going to change me. Right now. Did they really believe that I would have a power? It was just a _dream_! A stupid, insignificant, dream! And they were going to change me- with the hope that it might turn out to be something good? What if it wasn't? They could kill me, or just make me work with them for eternity. That, was worse than death. And he thought I wanted it. Sure, I wanted it. But not from Aro, not from anyone evil. I wanted _Edward_ to change me…

"It'll be even better today... It's a new moon..." he continued, though I was hardly listening.

I thought of all my options in the seconds that I had. I could stay, be transformed, and be forced to serve under the Volturi for the rest of eternity. I'd be evil, and would feast off human blood. Or I could run, and hope that either I made it out alive, or I died trying. Neither of them sounded good, because there was no hope in hell that I could run more than a few metres without being caught. This would be the end. No more Charlie, Renee, Jacob…and I might never see Edward again.

"Isabella Swan. This is it. Welcome to our world."

I was stupid. I ran. Faster than I'd ever ran before, and I hardly tripped. But I could only glorify my new found speed for a second or two. Demetri grabbed my arm, and pulled it tightly, dragging me back towards Aro and the rest of the guard. Before releasing me, he squeezed my arm with so much force that I heard a snap. Broken. The pain hit me suddenly, but I didn't scream, nor even wince. I was too scared to even notice the pain.

I felt arms pin me down onto the floor, and I flicked my eyes up to see the Cullen's glaring at me. How did so much love disintegrate so quickly? They held me down so firmly that I couldn't move. All parts of my body were locked into place. Even Carlisle, who had never killed a human, was part of this. His face was usually full of love, care, compassion, but not now. It was twisted up, cold hard, and not one part of him seemed to show resentment of any kind.

Could he _want _to be like this- or had the Volturi managed to trick all of them, hypnotise them maybe? My mind flicked back to the massacre that had happened only minutes beforehand. The Cullen's weren't part of that- were they? I didn't think so, or their eyes would be a brilliant red like the other members. At least they'd stuck to their beliefs.

It was hard to believe that so many terrible, terrible thins had happened during these last few days. But now I was facing the worst danger out of them all, just inches away from six vampires, with the evil vampire ruler about to attack me.

I had no time to spare, he was coming for me, and I had no way of escaping. And Edward was trapped, I might never see him again, or be forced to hurt him... Never.

Aro sauntered towards me, a look of pure evil on his face. He bent down to lean over me, and the Cullens moved back, but didn't restrain the iron grip on my arms and legs.

"You ready Bella?" asked Aro with a smirk, and bent down to bite my now exposed neck.

And then I was flying, backwards, away from the room. And I knew that I was dead.

The flying hadn't stopped, but now I was hearing things. Shouts, footsteps, voices. I had to be dead. I just had to be. Either that, or passed out from the pain of the bite. I assumed it was the later, because if I was dead, Edward would be with me, and from what I could see, I was alone.

But then I realised, that the pain was there, I just hadn't noticed. Fire was burning, starting from my neck and spreading rapidly throughout my body. The pain was worse than last time, totally excruciating, but the constant rush of air as I flew comforted me a little, but it was still there. Now I had a brief idea of what was happening, I screamed aloud.

I was definitely _not _dead, but I wished that I was.

"She's coming around..." muttered a voice, centimetres from my ear. I knew the voice, a male one, but at the moment, I couldn't quite pinpoint who it was.

"Don't worry," said another voice, female this time. "We've covered our tracks, they won't find our trail for a few more days, and by then we'll be even harder to find."

Sickness from the flight was starting to kick in, and I tried to groan, but I couldn't. Someone's hand had clamped over my mouth, to stop the screaming. The pain was growing worse, and I just wished that the Volturi _had _killed me. It would have been so much better...

The flying was stopping, and now that we had slowed enough for me to see, I realised I wasn't flying, I was being carried, but my legs were stretched out in front on me, sinking from the loss of speed. They hit the floor as we finally slowed down to a stop.

Before I had time to turn to notice my rescuers, they appeared in front of me. It was the Cullen's all of them there, apart from Edward... Carlisle was checking me, the bite mark, and examining my broken arm, though I couldn't even feel that, the burning was overpowering it by far.

"Bella?" he asked, in a sweet voice, once again caring and kind. "Can you hear me- are you all right?"

I nodded briefly, and just about managed to choke out some words. "Kill me Carlisle, please kill me."

He didn't look too concerned at my plea, it was normal behaviour anyway for the transformation. "Bella, you have to make a choice. Do you want to be changed like this- in the hands of the Volturi?"

I was disgusted. If I was going to live forever, I wouldn't want to have the knowledge that someone like Aro changed me. I wouldn't be able to deal with it. Promptly, I shook my head and made a face.

"Then you know what happens next."

I did, and as Carlisle bent down to suck out the venom, Jasper covered my mouth again and sent out waves of calm. It didn't really work. I still screamed, and panicked as the pain got worse, fidgeting violently, but soon it was gone. Well- almost gone.

This time, a warm tingle remained in my body, and although the pain had stopped, I was very aware that there was something happening. Carlisle stepped backwards, a smile on his face.

"Your all clean Bella, we made it just in time," he said, while the others nodded their heads in agreement. But I was still glaring at them.

"Why were you in the Volturi?" I asked coldly, still needing an explanation.

"Because," Alice chipped in, "They caught us, and said we could either die or join them."

"Yea, but we were all prepared to fight them until..." Emmett added until Alice cut him off with a swift glance.

"Until _I _came up with a plan, and I saw that it would work. And it did. So we joined them, stayed for about a few hours, and then rescued you. Pretty good plan- huh?"

She beamed back at me, assuming that all confusion had been cleared up. It hadn't.

"But what about the people- those tourists? What did you do when the Volturi had a massive...lunch." I asked quietly, afraid to cause offence.

"We made it _look _like we were feeding, when we weren't."

"Apart from _somebody _almost blew our cover..." muttered Emmett, firing a quick glare at Jasper. I knew Jasper had trouble around human blood, so I could imagine what he went through.

Esme smiled at me, while Carlisle went back to check my broken arm. "Is everything cleared up now, honey?"

That stunned me. Der. Of course it wasn't. Sure, I knew why they pretended to be in the Volturi, but they'd missed out one important part. Because one of their family, the most important one, was missing.

"But what about Edward??"

They stared blankly at me, their sad eyes all twitching slightly, and everything went silent. Alice's lip was quivering, and it looked like no one was brave enough to speak.

"Well?" I demanded, wondering what in the world was stopping them from answering such a simple question.

It was Rosalie who stepped forward, and she gingerly placed her hand on my shoulder, and held _my_ hand with her other. She inhaled a deep breath, and looked me solemnly in the eyes.

"Bella, sweetheart. Edward's dead."


	15. Chapter 15: Pain

My eyes fluttered open, and I saw six faces staring down at me, whispering in hushed tones, too fast for me to make out any words

My eyes fluttered open, and I saw six faces staring down at me, whispering in hushed tones, too fast for me to make out any words. The second I blinked at them, all eyes were on me, and they were deathly silent.

"What happened?" I whispered, realising that I was lying on the forest floor.

"You fainted...after we told you," Alice replied, a look of pure sympathy on her angelic face.

What was she _talking _about? I had no idea _what _she had told me and why it was so bad…

And then I remembered. I remembered everything. They had told me that Edward was dead... My Edward. My love. Dead.

Tears started streaming down my face, and I curled myself into a tight ball, hugging my knees to my chest, sobbing hysterically. My world was crumbling around me, my heart shattering into millions of pieces, and all that was left was an empty space where Edward was meant to be. And he never would be there.

Jasper was frantically sending waves of calm at me, but it was doing no good, because the pain was getting worse, and it hadn't even sunk in properly yet. I couldn't even imagine the pain that Jasper was facing because of me, but I didn't care. I didn't even notice that he was there, that any of them were there. I was just on the floor, crying my eyes out, and I was planning on staying there, or going back to the Volturi and dying there and then.

Because without Edward, I had no reason to live anymore.

Time passes slowly, and when darkness swept over the forest, I was still on the floor, curled up into a ball. I was still crying, but no sound escaped. The Cullen's were whispering amongst themselves, glancing at me with worried expressions. Looking at them made the pain worse, it made me think that any one of them could have died, except for Edward... Why Edward?

Had the Volturi done it after I escaped, or was it straight after he had walked past in my cell? Too many questions, none of them I wanted to ask. I tried to distract myself, anything to tear myself away from his face. I tried listening to the hurried conversation.

"She'll be OK won't she?" asked Jasper, wincing as my sadness hurt him as well.

"Not for a while, she won't want to move for a few more hours." Alice was so certain, but she too looked pained.

"I still can't believe it...my _son..."_ said Esme, looking down sadly at the floor. "I mean, If I would have known that the last I saw of him was in that basement, if _Bella _knew that... It all might be OK."

They didn't say anything for a while, obviously depressed at their loss, but it would never match up to what I was feeling. Never ever. They had never lost anyone before, and this felt like I was losing a part of my soul. Finally, it was Rosalie who broke the silence.

"Alice? I know that it's inappropriate, but how did it happen? You didn't tell any of us before."

Alice looked up at her, everyone did. She nodded swiftly, and Jasper grabbed onto her hand for supported. Alice and Edward were very close...so it must be harder for her than everyone else. But still, she was brave enough to talk, to explain. That showed something about Alice, I wouldn't have been able to say anything.

"When we were hunting, and the Volturi found Bella and Edward..." she started, hesitating slightly. "They took Bella, but two of them took Edward away. Far Away. They had already decided that they wanted Bella as a vampire, and not dead."

The family nodded impatiently. Obviously, they had already heard this part. I hadn't, but I hid my face from them, not wanting for Alice to stop if she realised I was listening.

"But being as ruthless and evil as the Volturi are, they weren't satisfied. It seems that they'd gone such a long way, they still wanted to kill. Some of them went to find us, but Edward was so insistent on _not _joining the Volturi, they decided they had no further use for him, so... Well, you know what happened next."

They looked grave, sad, but no longer curious. That was what had happened. The End.

I was willing to accept this theory, and as the tears started streaming down my face again, I remembered. Suddenly, after hours of being empty, I had hope.

I had seen him. At the Volturi, in the dungeons. I had _seen _him. Edward. He was there, alone, tortured, but still there. And possibly still alive.

"NO!" I cried out, jumping onto my feet so fast my head spun. All eyes gawped at my speedy recovery, and at the huge smile that had spread across my face.

"Bella!?" said Carlisle curiously. "Are you all right? Are you hallucinating?"

I laughed at him, shaking my head, and jumping up and down in an Alice type manner. The energy had come on so quickly, so strongly. I wanted _everyone _to know the joy that was rushing through my body.

"He's not dead. He's not dead! Edward's alive!" I was babbling, unable to contain my sudden eagerness to head _back _to Volterra (and that was something I never thought I'd say).

"Bella dear, you must have been having a dream. He's not alive. He's dead, the Volturi killed him," Esme replied with soft tones, patting my shoulder very tenderly, afraid that I might explode again.

"No! I swear, he's back with the Volturi- back in Volterra! I saw him when I was in the dungeon, he was taken past by Felix and Demetri! He's Alive!"

I don't know what I was expecting their reaction to be. It was fifty-fifty between grins and cheers, or immediate huddling to make a plan to save him. But what I got wasn't exactly what I was hoping for.

They stared at me, still looking glum, but new expressions were leaking onto their faces. They were confused, but the looked at me like I was crazy. Oh God. They didn't believe me. After everything I had been through, they didn't believe me. And they were going to let Edward be tortured at the hands of the Volturi, when he was there, and could so easily be rescued.

If I had to do this alone, I would. I would be willing to do _anything _to save him, even if I was so "breakable", like he always told me...

"Did you hit your head when you fainted, Bella?" Rosalie asked with actual interest. It wouldn't last long. She would be normal Rosalie again when we straightened everything out.

"No, I didn't. He's in Volterra. I _saw _him. Please! Someone believe me! Alice?"

I turned to her as my last hope, because she always seemed to be on my side, on _Edwards _side. She would help me- wouldn't she? I wasn't crazy, I knew what I saw. But she looked at me like all the others did, like there was something wrong with my head, and she looked slightly angry that I could ever doubt _her _truthfulness.

"I'm sorry Bella, but we have to face facts. He's dead, and no matter how much you _want_ to bring him back, we just can't. I'm the one who can see the future, I saw him dead, and now his whole future has disappeared. That's it Bella. There's truly nothing we can do anymore."

"But we CAN! We can find him! Your visions have missed things before, like you weren't seeing the bigger picture! The Volturi can mess with minds Alice, and this could be like that. Don't you see? Does _anybody _see?!"

"We have to go...I'm sorry Bella," said Carlisle with a hint of sorrow in his velvet voice. He picked me up onto his back, despite my struggles, and ran.

I was carried for what felt like hours, and Edward was the only thing on my mind the whole journey.

Because every step we took, drew me even further away from the one I loved...


	16. Chapter 16: News

After falling asleep on Carlisle's shoulders, I awoke, startled and confused

After falling asleep on Carlisle's shoulders, I awoke, startled and confused.

"Where am I?" I asked quickly, looking around at the unfamiliar surroundings. It was day again, and the hot sun was burning down on my head. The sparkling of the vampire's around me had been a pretty good alarm, but as events from yesterday flooded back to me, I was in no mood to be particularly nice to them.

"We're near the Italian coast. But the Volturi are guarding the border, the coasts, everything. If we go any closer, they'll spot us." Said Carlisle calmly, setting me down on the ground.

"Then Volterra is unguarded! We can go back there, save Edward!" I shrieked, far too loudly, forgetting that they all thought Edward was dead. The look on their face gave me the answer. "Oh…never mind then."

"Here are your things," said Esme politely, passing me the bag that I had packed so hurriedly a few days ago. I'd forgotten all about it the last couple of nights, and now I was blissfully happy at the thought of dry, clean clothes.

"Do you mind if I…," I started, gesturing to behind a hedgerow that was nearby.

"Of course," she replied. "Alice will go with you, keep you a tiny bit safer."

My heart sank a little bit at this, and all plans of running away disintegrated in my mind. Alice gracefully jumped up, grabbing my hand, and pulling me away. At least Alice was acting more normally around me today, I needed a friend. She took me a lot further than I was planning to go, but at her speed, it only took a second.

"Why are we so far?" I asked hesitantly, it wasn't like the family to be so secretive, they shared everything with each other.

"Because out here, nobody can hear us talk."

That was the answer I had expected, but I still didn't know why. For a split second I thought that she believed me, but obviously not. No one did, and I just had to accept that.

"I-" I started, but Alice cut me off.

"Bella. You can't just run off back to Volterra. They'll kill you. They wont go easy on you a second time. If you go back, your life will end in seconds. I won't let you go."

Ah. So this is what this is about. Another 'Bella is crazy, and she believes her dead boyfriend is alive' speech. Great. And of course, she'll be watching even more closely now that she realised my intentions. Nothing could slip past her at the moment. I sighed, this was going to be a lot harder than I originally intended.

"But I need to find him," I whispered, a tear dripping out of the corner of my eye. "I love him, and I know he's alive."

"I'm sorry Bella. We can't let you go."

"But what if it wasn't Edward, what if it were _Jasper_," I said with a glare, playing my last card in a desperate attempt to win her over. She blinked in suprise, shocked at the thought, but she was trying to keep cool.

"I'd let it go Bella. It would crush me, but I wouldn't put anyone else in my family in danger."

She sounded distant, and although she didn't say, I knew that it had worked. She would come round eventually, I hope.

"Right, Bella. Get dressed. You've been wearing those clothes for days," she said with a smile, picking out an outfit from the bag, and shoving it on me. We were about to head back, when my cell phone rang. It made me jump, I'd forgotten that I'd even brought it with me.

I checked the caller ID, hoping stupidly that it was Edward. It wasn't. Instead, it was who I was in no mood to speak to. Jacob.

Did I really want to pick up the phone? If it wasn't for him and Lauren, we wouldn't be in Italy, and Edward would be safe. Completely safe. The Volturi wouldn't be after us, and I would be happy. Yea, so I had plenty of reasons to hate him, to not pick up the phone. I mean, he had abandoned me for Lauren. He had said so many hateful things to me, but he was still my best friend.

And right now, a best friend was what I needed. At present, nobody was on my side, nobody was willing to help me. At least with Jacob, there was a chance that he would be supportive, even though he hated Edward, and vampires generally. But would that be OK? He could fight the Volturi for me, help me get him back.

"Should I answer it?" I whispered to Alice, as the phone continued to buzz angrily in my hand.

"Why not..." she replied, looking doubtfully at the caller ID. I picked up the phone hesitantly, and put it to my ear.

"Jake?"

"Bella! Where _are _you!"

"I'm in Italy." I was trying to sound uninterested in him, to strengthen the fact that I still wasn't happy to talk to him.

"Was it to do with those cloaked bloodsuckers that came scrounging round La Push?" He smirked.

"The Volturi. Yea. They kidnapped us and almost changed me, but I'm all right now." I had to admit, talking to Jacob was easing my worries a little bit. At least _he _wanted to talk to me.

"Seriously? Is your bloodsucker OK?" I sighed. I knew he would ask something like that, and at this point, I didn't really want to have to tell him the truth.

"Yes. So to speak." That seemed like a good answer. Short, truthful, and didn't invite many questions. There was silence from his end of the phone, and I could hear him taking a deep breath.

"Bella, I've got something to say. And I'm not proud of it."

"What is it?" At least he was sharing things with me again, that was a start.

"It's about Lauren." He sounded sinister, and my mind jumped to all possible conclusions. Were they getting married? Was she _pregnant _or something? I could tell from his voice that it wasn't going to be good. Hmph. He was welcome to her. She would always be a bitch, and a truly evil person. I felt sorry for Jacob. If he hadn't imprinted on her, he wouldn't have to be with her all the time...

"What _about _her?" I said through gritted teeth, watching Alice raise her eyebrows at me.

"Well... Look I don't know how to say this without wanting to kill myself but..."

"Just spit it out Jake..."

"Lauren's dead. I...I killed her."


	17. Chapter 17: Escapades

"You WHAT

"You WHAT!!" I exclaimed, my eyes widening, and my mouth hanging open.

"Bella, please don't make me feel worse about this...I couldn't help it." He sounded so solemn, so ashamed of himself, but I still couldn't believe it.

I had heard about imprinting enough to know a lot about it. They would do anything- _anything_, to keep them away from harm, to make sure they didn't get hurt. How could he _kill _her? He wouldn't- he _couldn't! _I knew Jake so well. Even if it _was _Lauren, he wouldn't let her get hurt.

"But...but why? _How_?" I blurted out, not even thinking about what words were forming in my mouth.

"You know Sam and Emily? What happened to her?"

I shuddered involuntarily. Emily's perfect face, ruined by so many scars...

"That's what happened with Lauren. I lost my temper."

Sheesh. I knew Edward was always saying that something like this could so easily happen to me, but it never crossed my mind. But now... I'd have to think twice before I went back to La Push.

"How did you lose your temper? Cause your usually pretty controlled you know..." I sighed into the phone. What a week.

"She was talking about...you Bella." he continued carefully, speaking each word slowly, and taking deep breaths in between sentences. This must be so hard for him.

"I mentioned that I hadn't seen you for a while, and she never liked me talking about you Bells, but I always do involuntarily anyway. She just scoffed and said 'Good riddance to the bitch', and then I just exploded. You know the rest."

I was silent, and so was he. I couldn't believe that he would kill her over me. I had chosen Edward over him, and now I was happy that he had let go, found someone else. But he would always love me, wouldn't he? And that's what was crushing me, what was killing me inside, and always would. I would never be able to give him what he wanted, and I had eternity to worry about that.

"Say something Bella." he said, his rough voice making me jump.

"Sorry. I just can't believe it all. Why would you do it?" I had to ask, otherwise I would feel even worse.

"Because no matter who I imprint on, I will always love you Bella. And not even Lauren could change that."

I gulped. Crap. I just had no idea what to say to that.

"And I'm phoning, because I heard that Edward was dead, and I wondered if you needed a friend."

What!? How did Jake know about that? It wasn't even true! Or perhaps Carlisle called Charlie, to give him the bad news, and Charlie hastily spread it so no one acted weird when I came back home. I hated my father sometimes. And how did he even have the _nerve _to call me like this when he _knew _that Edward was dead!!

"Edward is _not _dead..." I said through gritted teeth, and I heard Alice sigh quietly. "Look Jake, can I call you back later? It's kinda a bad time."

I slammed the phone back into my bag, not waiting for a response. Already I was making plans on what would happen the next time I called. Trying to stifle them from Alice was harder than I thought, but I tried to anyway. I needed Jake's help, and if he had to come all the way to Volterra, I would try my best to make that happen.

Edward was the love of my life, my eternity, and I would do anything to save him.

Evening came all too slowly, and by then Alice was so fixated on the Volturi's every move, I doubted she'd even notice me. It seems that the Volturi were running up and down the coast and the border, determined to keep us in the country. As Alice put it: we had to come out sometime. A small part of me _wanted_ to be captured again, so I could at least be near him again, be able to see his face...

But something was still bothering me from my conversation with Jacob earlier. And it hadn't hit me until a few hours afterwards. He had asked me how Edward was...and then afterwards he said he had heard about his death... It didn't make any sense. None whatsoever, but I'd be able to call him again soon...the Cullen's were getting hungry, and it was making them restless. Only Jasper seemed to be satisfied with his thirst, and that surprised me. After all, he wasn't the most controlled out of them all.

For the fourth time in the last hour, Emmett glanced my way, and inhaled. The second my scent hit him, he twitched and clenched his fists. Shuddering, I looked away. This was the first time that these vampire's had actually scared me.

I asked them again and again to go hunting, to get it out of their system, but Carlisle always refused. "It's not safe Bella, we can't leave you alone..."

But after a while, I cracked.

"Can you _please _just hunt... No offence Emmett, but your kinda freaking me out." I pleaded, shooting glances at everyone, making sure they understood that I was only human after all.

"Bella we've told you. It's not sa-" Carlisle started, but Jasper interrupted.

"I'll stay with her, I don't need to hunt."

I stared at him, dumbstruck. I never really felt that I understood Jasper, and he hardly ever made an effort to me nice to me, he generally stayed in the background.

"Are you sure?" asked Esme, glancing at me protectively. Jasper nodded, and they flew off into the trees before I could blink.

The next half hour was awkward. We said nothing to each other, and I could tell that Jasper wasn't as controlled as he had said he was. He too was starting to fidget and stare at me with hungry eyes. I had nowhere to run, nowhere to hide. He could kill me before Alice would have had time to even notice something was wrong with him.

I could be dead before I had time to move an inch.

I was petrified to the spot, and he hadn't even moved yet, but I could tell what was coming. Why, Jasper? I loved him, he was like a brother to me, yet I feared him most over all the Cullens. He had been brought up to live off human blood, he wasn't like the others, he was more lethal, more dangerous. Please don't kill me Jasper, I pleaded to myself. Please don't kill me.

A painfully long minute later, his eyes locked onto mine again, and he stood up. I sat like a stone, afraid to run, and I couldn't breathe well enough to scream. As he took a step in my direction, I gasped in shock, and then clamped a hand over my mouth to keep myself quiet. _I mustn't let the Volturi hear me, I mustn't._ It was stupid, but I didn't want the Cullen's to die, even if I did. How idiotically noble I could be sometimes. Jasper's eyes suddenly saddened, and I assumed that he had caught my fear. As his eyes widened with the realisation of what he had done, he stepped back slowly.

"I'm so sorry Bella..." he whispered, just loud enough for me to hear, and shot off into the trees. I was alone, and by the looks of it, Alice wasn't even paying attention enough to notice. Excellent. Now I could phone Jacob, and at least get some sense out of _someone._

His number was punched into the phone in a second, and I waited impatiently as it rang. Pick up Jacob, Pick up the damn phone!

"Hello?"

"JAKE!" I was too eager, but after the time I'd spent with Jasper, Jacob was my saviour. In every way.

"Hey Bells, I was just-"

"Jacob. What do you know about Edward. And be honest. Please."

I was too impatient to wait, I needed an answer now, right now. Any second the Cullen's could come back, and I wouldn't be allowed alone again, I wouldn't be able to talk to him again. It was truly now or never. I heard Jacob sigh.

"Carlisle rang Charlie, and told him Edward had died in an accident, but that you wouldn't believe it, so you might act a little strange when you got back. Charlie told Billy, and that's it."

I couldn't _believe _Carlisle, or Charlie for that matter. How could they have so little faith in their own son, and how could they not believe _me? _It was an outrage, and although I was furious, I still needed Jacob on my side, so an outburst wouldn't be too good.

"Jacob, believe me. He's _not dead._"

"Bella, I want to believe you, I really do, but I think your over reacting. You have to accept that he's gone. " I groaned at him, this was typical Jacob behaviour. Right when I needed him most.

"Please Jacob. I want _someone _to believe me, because I'm telling the truth. Don't you trust me?" I was risking a lot, but I needed answers, and I needed help. Every minute that I delayed, Edward was being beaten, heartbroken, and closer to death. _I wouldn't lose him again._

"I don't know Bella. I really don't. Of course I trust you, but this is a big thing, a lot to take in at once. Sorry," he said with a glum tone. I hoped he was feeling the guilt. He should be, because it was his best friend that was suffering.

"Jacob. I'll be honest with you. I can't get out of the country, and I need help. Please. Will you help me?"

The phone call went silent, and my heart started thudding as he thought. I didn't know what I wanted him to say. 'Yes Bella, of course I will'? Or 'fine, whatever'? I just didn't know what to expect from Jake anymore. He'd thrown so many bombshells on me in these last few days that it was hard to trust _him_.

"Maybe. That's all I'm saying for now Bells, maybe."

He hung up the phone, and I smiled. Hope was returning.


	18. Chapter 18: Breaking Free

The Cullen's returned, conveniently a few minutes after Jasper did, so I doubt anyone suspected his absence

The Cullen's returned, conveniently a few minutes after Jasper did, so I doubt anyone suspected his absence. I didn't want to talk to them, or even see them, so I just pretended to be asleep. I'm not seeing Jacob, I'm not escaping. I'm not seeing Jacob, I'm not escaping. I had to tell myself this over and over again, so Alice wouldn't see my future vanish, and eventually I almost stopped believing it myself.

But I knew that Jacob's help was the only way I could get Edward back, and at least then I had _some _protection from the Volterra, even if sneaking in wasn't as sly as we'd hoped. Or I could use him... he could be a distraction for me, provoke the Volturi a little bit. Excellent. Or was that too cruel? Asking him to help me, and then making him risk his life to save Edward's. He wouldn't do that. No way. But I just didn't know what to do anymore... Without Edward, my mind was blank.

When I woke up, it was early morning, and the Cullen's were lying on the grass with bored faces. They weren't interested when I sat up, I only received a brief nod from Alice, who was lying comfortably on Jasper's stomach, who had his arm around her.

"Just be a minute!" I said quickly, whisking up my bag and running off, hurrying to avoid any unnecessary stalking from Alice. As soon as I thought I was out of sight and hearing range, I rang Jacob again. I needed my answer today. Right now.

"Jacob." I whispered when I heard the phone click, not needing a greeting or acknowledgment. He knew what it was about.

"Bella...I..."

"Just tell me Jake. Yes or No. Times running out."

"Look, can I at least talk to Sam first."

"What has _he _got to do with this?"

"Well-I...I thought you wanted the whole pack to go Bells?" he said, confused. I laughed into the phone, he could be so stupid sometimes.

"No way! That's too obvious! I just need you Jake, you can help me. Please? Please..." Although I was happy that he had more of a reason to say yes, I wasn't really up for talking anymore about the situation, and the familiar tear was again creeping down my face. How far away could Jasper feel emotion? I'd never really thought about it. I'd have to ask Edward...

That did it, and the tears started streaming.

"Bella?"

"P-Please Jake...I n-n-need help," I sniffed, restraining myself from bursting into floods of tears again.

"God Bella, are you allright?"

"Just answer me Jake!" My voice croaked as I fought back my emotion, and his voice instantly softened. After all that had happened, he still hated to hear me cry...

"Fine. I'll find you. Don't worry," and the phone went dead.

He was coming! He was going to help me! Finally, something was worth waiting for. Hold on Edward, I'll find you, you're going to be safe! I couldn't believe it! Jacob was going to help me! Blissfully happy, I turned to walk back.

My excitement turned to worry as soon as I caught sight of the Cullens, and saw that they were all staring at me. I gulped but walked steadily towards them, trying to act convincing enough, hoping that they hadn't heard me, because if they had then I had absolutely no chance. Their eyes never left mine, but at least none of them were glaring. That was a good sign.

"Hi..." I muttered cheerfully, throwing my bag back on the grass, and sitting on it.

"Um...Bella?" asked Alice, eyeing me up curiously, a strange expression on her porcelain face.

"Yep?" I mumbled back, trying desperately to act as normal as possible, while inside I was panicking, worrying, and grieving all at the same time. Jasper must be going mad...

"Why didn't you change your clothes?"

Oh no... The _one _thing that I needed to do, I'd forgotten. I really was a bad actor, just like Edward had always told me. What was I going to do now? They could see through all my lies, and right now the blush was returning to my cheeks, and I was feeling sick. They knew something was up...they _knew it_.

"Oh. Um...I needed the toilet..." I muttered, biting my lip and not moving my eyes from the ground. Please god let them not ask any questions. Please.

"Oh. But why did you take your bag with you?"

Damn it Alice. I couldn't have one second of privacy with her around. These last few days I had come to despise all of them just a little bit more. They wouldn't believe me, and things like that can tear apart a perfectly good relationship.

I just shrugged at her, and broke eye contact, staring at my foot, just hoping that she'd lose interest. When I looked up again, she raised her eyebrows, and started chatting quietly to Jasper.

Jasper still hadn't said anything to me after he'd almost lost his self control, and he kept his distance too. Poor guy. But then again, it was his fault, and by him doing that he had allowed me to talk to Jacob. If I saved Edward, I owed Jasper big time, and I would never doubt him again.

"You know, I think you're doing amazingly well Bella," said Rosalie quietly, sounding slightly embarrassed from the feat of actually giving me a compliment. "I mean, you were worse than this when Edward only _left_... but now he's dead, you got over it pretty quickly."

She ignored the looks from the others, who were still pretty upset themselves, but looking at me to wait for my reaction. I had a pretty good feeling that they already knew what I was going to say. And that was the truth.

"For the last time! EDWARD ISN'T DEAD! Why won't anyone believe me!?" I yelled back at her, glaring at the Cullens, who were sighing and shaking there heads.

"What _I _don't understand Bella," continued Rosalie, with a slightly more spiteful tone. "Is how you don't trust _us, _when he have a psychic on our side! You just can't let go can you Bella! Move on...and understand how rotten your making all of us feel! It's hard enough to lose a brother without having someone continually try to convince us that we haven't!!"

She growled, and moved away to sit with Emmett. I couldn't even try to say anything, I was just too angry with them. He wasn't dead, and I knew that! _Why wouldn't they believe me? _It sickened me... If it was another of the Cullens, I know that Edward would have been on my side. He would believe me, I know he would.

"Bella, I'm sorry but she's right," said Carlisle tenderly, looking the most sympathetic out of all of them. "You'll just have to accept it in your own time, but don't worry. We're all going to be here for you. We'll help you get through it all..."

Carlisle...Why him? Out of everyone, I was expecting at least _some _understanding from him, but no. I was still alone in my quest to find Edward. But now I didn't need people to believe me. Jacob was coming, he was coming for me. I was going to go to Volterra, find Edward, and get him out. Quite _how _that was going to work I didn't know, but it was going to happen. I would do anything to have him holding me again...

The Cullens seemed to grow bored by my antisocial behaviour, whether they thought it was down to my grieving or just me being crazy: I had absolutely no idea. I didn't even care. All I had to do now was wait.

The next day dragged by. I paid no attention to anyone, or anything. They were deeply into planning our escape route, but I wasn't even slightly interested. Soon, Jacob would be here, and we could leave. But all I could do was wait for his arrival, and my impatience was getting to me more than normal.

"Bella? How are you today?" Alice asked, probably hoping to get back on speaking terms with me. But I would only grunt my replies, and I hardly opened my eyes. With so much time, I just delved deep into my thoughts. If I concentrated hard enough, I could be with Edward, in his cold, marble arms, with his lips on mine. That was the only feeling where I could be happy, but the more I daydreamed, the more the distance between us seems to grow.

It was dark before I woke up from my trance, and I only snapped out of it because the Cullen's broke the silence, and starting talking too quickly for me to understand. Something must be going on. And knowing my luck, it wasn't going to be good.

But what was it? Had the Volturi found us? More nomads? I couldn't tell, and they talked too quickly for me to catch everything. But when I sat up, too curious for my own good, my heart rose. Emmett was sniffing the air, and he crinkled his face up in pure disgust. I had only ever seen them do that when werewolves were around. Jacob was here.

They still hadn't noticed that I was awake, so I took my chances with standing up. They didn't even turn there heads, too engrossed in the situation. Alice was pointing in a direction, between the trees, so that's where I started walking. Slowly at first, so they wouldn't notice, but as soon as I reckoned I was far enough away, I ran. And boy, that really got their attention.

"Bella!! What are you doing!!"

"Bella! Get back here NOW!"

"IT'S NOT SAFE!!"

I took only a second to laugh at their cries, because I knew that they would run after me. But then a force knocked me off my feet as I ran, and I was scooped up by Jacob, who grinned down at me as we blurred through the trees.

I had never been happier. We were on our way to do the only thing that I wanted to do, and that was all I could ask for. As we left the Cullens far, far away in the distance, I laughed in sheer happiness, and we sped off. Back to Volterra. Back to Edward...

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	19. Chapter 19: Back again

We were moving so fast, I wasn't even entirely sure whether I had woken up yet or not

We were moving so fast, I wasn't even entirely sure whether I _had _woken up yet or not. Jacob didn't even say a word, and I just spend the ride enjoying the thrill of it all, and the hope that I might see Edward's face within minutes. That thought could get me through a lifetime...

I was unbelievably paranoid that the Cullens had followed, but would they? Were they too concerned about returning to Volterra to worry about me, or did they just think I was crazy? They'd see. Edward and I would find them again, and I would be right for once. That would stay with me forever...knowing something that Alice didn't. But what if they _were_ following- if they _did _feel bad. I would feel awful, but it wouldn't stop me from trying to find him.

They could fight...someone could get killed...but I'd already told myself to risk everything, to fight for my life to save Edward's. I would never have been this strong willed without meeting him. He just kept giving me more and more to live for.

Every so often I glanced up at Jacob, who never returned my gaze. I was trying hopelessly to analyse his expression, but it wasn't working. He looked deadly serious, if not angry, but his eyes were sad and twinkled as if he were dreaming. Poor guy. I couldn't even think to imagine what he was going through. Losing Lauren, and then seeing me again, but only to take me to Edward, and knowing that I would ditch him the moment I found him again...sheesh.

At that point, Jacob looked down at me, and grinned his best smile.

"I forgot to tell you something..." he said, not looking at the path he was running along. I looked confused, gesturing with my eyes for him to continue.

"Hi." he said sweetly, and I laughed, remembering that I hadn't said a word to him since he picked me up earlier.

"Hey. Are we almost there?" I asked, feeling like a child asking 'are we there yet?' to parents. But I wanted to set my sights so I wouldn't get over excited.

"Another twenty minutes I think...I don't really have an Italian Sat Nav in my brain you know Bells..." he said with a chuckle. I just smiled.

That twenty minutes passed unbearably slowly, and I didn't say another word, because my heart was starting to pound. What an over excitable human I was, I didn't know what I would be like when I actually _saw _him again. Knowing Edward, he could probably already here it.

Seconds later, Jacob stopped.

"We're here..."

And so we were. I instantly recognised the edge of the plaza, and the fountain in the centre. I'd been here more times than I'd have wanted, but this time it was essential. None the less, I was scared. Petrified, even. I still had absolutely _no _idea what I was going to do, how easy it would be. But the longer I waited...the less time I would have, and the Volturi would catch my scent, and no doubt return to Volterra and finish me off once and for all.

"Jake? Help. I don't know what's gonna happen..."

He smiled sheepishly, and took a step forward.

"Well _I _know Bella...you just watch me."

I just stared at him blankly as he took an all too crucial step forward. I half expected him to sparkle in the sun. Silly Bella, that's just vampires... He just stood in the light, a huge smile beaming on his face. I didn't understand at first, but then he pushed me behind a wall.

"Stay there until I'm gone...don't move a muscle or say a word until I've vanished."

And then I saw them, waiting in the alleyway, half hidden by the darkness. Aro, Marcus, Caius and Jane. The ones, who I assumed had stayed behind to watch over the city. I realised what Jake was doing. He was giving them his scent, showing off his presence, as if he had no idea where he was, or as if he just wanted a fight. Crazy... Totally crazy...

"I love you Bells..." he whispered, and bounded off behind a building, causing some confused and startled looks from the Volturi. Please...don't let them see me. Please, please... A werewolf chase would be nothing if they knew that _I _was here... Jacob reappeared in less than a second, his shaggy chocolate brown coat shining elegantly in the sun. But he was only there for a second, because before I could blink, he disappeared, and the Volturi blurred away after him.

Oh God... he had done that for me. Risking his life, possibly killing himself. Why? He knew that I would pick Edward...he knew that he would never imprint again, and that he would end up alone... I owed him my life, and my love. A tear fell down my cheek, and I waved sadly into the distance.

But I couldn't wait. The quicker I went, the more time I would have. I was scared, of course I was, but I had come so far...I wouldn't go home without Edward. Who knew whether there were more vampires left inside- Frank and Demetri? But I wouldn't let it get in my way. I had to go for it.

The alleyway was all too familiar, and so was the manhole cover that I knew I had to go through. This time, there was nobody there to catch me. _Do it! _commanded my inner self when I had finally forced the cover out of the ground. _Do it now Bella, or you'll regret it forever! _And I jumped, holding my breath as I fell. I landed awkwardly, not the way that gymnasts would, but noisily, heavily, and painfully.

There was no going back.


	20. Chapter 20: Maze

"Oh my…"

I lay on the floor of the Volturi's reception, facing downwards, my body sprawled in every direction.

"Ouch…" I muttered, regretting saying a word. Although I'd literally come in with a bang, unnecessary noise just wasn't worth it.

"Oh my…"

I lifted my head of the carpet to see Gianna standing over me, her eyebrows raised, and searching around for anyone else.

"Bella? What are you _doing _here? You'll get yourself killed!" she said with a hushed tone. I had never really taken much notice of Gianna, other than how desperate she must be to want to spend time with these monsters. But looking at her now, I could see how kind she looked, her eyes filled with concern for me, and a smile on her lips. She held out a hand and supported me to my feet.

"Gianna, I need your help…" I whispered, whilst searching around in case of surprise attacks. "Edward's here. I need to find him…"

She looked me deep in the eyes, obviously shocked by my predicament. I had no idea why, it was worth the risk to save him.

"You must love him very much… Just go Bella. Go now before you're too late. I won't say a word"

"But Gianna…Aro would _kill_ you if he found out. I ca…" I was desperate to just run, but she was being so _kind_, it was hard not to want to stay behind and help her. She interrupted my rantings by walking me towards the staircase, smiling a final time, and walking back towards her desk.

"Good luck Bella."

I grinned back at her, before running down the staircase without turning back. At the sight of the dungeon, I shivered, remembering the hours I spent sitting alone in the corner, with the sounds of the tourists driving me insane. As I walked on cautiously, I could of screamed. Another cell full of people sat in silence, staring at me with panicked eyes. Oh god…another load of people set to die in just a few hours.

"Are you one of _them?_" one of them said fearfully to me. "One of the sparkly people?"

I could have laughed if I wasn't in this situation, but instead I had to force myself to smile back at them.

"No. No I'm not. I'm human, just like you."

Instantly I regretted saying it. I'd managed to do it _again_. OK, so I hadn't said anything about vampires, but this was still bad. How could I put myself, and everyone I loved in danger _so many times. _And in only a week… I had to leave this corridor. I had to get away from anymore people that I could blab too. _Stupid, STUPID Bella…_

"What? What did you just say…?" More people in the crowd were murmuring, gasping. That was enough for me. Ignoring the cries and protests of the prisoners, I ran. Two falls, and many stumbles later, I had rounded the corner.

This was suddenly all new to me, and knowing Volterra, it wasn't going to be easy to find. I had only ever been led through the winding and twisting corridors before, and I was still amazed that I had made it this far on my own. Maybe there really _was _no-one here… Just me, Gianna and some helpless prisoners. And Edward. Somewhere, anywhere, or nowhere?

Maybe he really _was _dead?

God, I can't believe I'm even thinking about this. Of course he was alive, it had only been about three days since I was last here, even if it felt like half a lifetime. Desperate to make it, I set off on this hopeless mission, and I kept walking, even when my feet burned, my back ached, and my heart felt even closer to breaking point.

A half hour later, I was sat leaning against a wall, sobbing into my arm. It had been hopeless. All corridors looked the same, and dead end after dead end had darkened all hopes of getting out of here had gone, let alone getting out of here with Edward. I was lost, Jacob was probably dead, and the head of the Volturi was on his way home, and he would find me in seconds. I had given up on _everything_, when I heard it.

"_Bella. Bella stand up."_

I jumped. Just like it had before, Edward's voice was calling to me. I stood up in an instant, my heart set on following the trail until I found him. I looked around eagerly, wishing to see his perfect, flawless features, but once again saw the dim, dark walls of the dungeons.

"_Bella. Keep walking. Your close, your really close."_

My heart leapt, and my pace picked up. I could only see his face in my mind, and the smile on my face was literally beaming. Even though I still tripped and fell, I would just get straight back up and keep running.

"_Turn left now Bella. Your close, your really close." _

I had no idea whether it was really Edward's voice, or just my imagination playing desperate tricks on me, but I believed so much that it was really him, that I kept on going. He was bound to hear my heart now, it was beating loudly, out of control…

It was then that I heard a deafening crash from above me, and a scream. Oh my god…they'd returned, and they knew I was here. Gianna… She was in danger, possibly hurt, possibly _dead. _And it was all my fault… What I _done _these past few weeks. It seemed all I could do was wreck other people's lives around me, endanger all the people I really loved. I was a pretty pathetic excuse for a human being. But even then, I kept running, even faster than before, until everything was almost pitch black, and I could only see dim outlines of doors and cells.

Only a minute later, I stopped. I was slowly adjusting to the darkness, and I could make out a figure standing there, his back to me.

"Bella…"

This moment, was the happiest I had been for weeks. He was here…I had done it. _He was alive._ Alice had been wrong! My heart skipped a beat, and my face ached from smiling too much, but I couldn't help it. I was so _happy! _

I reached out for the bars, and to my surprise, the door swung open, but I was so ecstatic that I ignored it, and took no haste into throwing my arms around his neck.

"Oh my God…" he said, but his voice didn't seem to come from where I thought it did. I looked around, until I saw him, sitting in the corner, staring at me with saddened eyes.

What? Huh? But that must mean…

"Ah, Bella. Back so soon I see."

In shock, I realised that it wasn't Edward who I was embracing…it was Marcus.


	21. Chapter 21: Bargaining

I opened my mouth to scream, but Marcus pressed his cold fingers over my mouth

I opened my mouth to scream, but Marcus pressed his cold fingers over my mouth. However, it wasn't harsh, so all I could think was that it could have been worse. If it were Felix who had caught me, then my jaw would be broken already.

"Marcus…" said Edward harshly, glaring at him with all his might. "Let her go, she's done nothing wrong."

He grunted in response, but to my surprise, he actually _did _let me go…and threw me on the floor beside Edward, who clutched my hand tightly to stop me from crying. I was counting down the seconds in my head until Aro arrived, poised and ready to kill me. He wouldn't even bother trying to change me again. It's a one chance only system in Volterra. And I was back for Edward….so god only knows what would happen to him.

"Why are you here Bella? _Why?_" Marcus asked me coldly, never once breaking eye contact. I gulped in fear, but I was relieved at least, by the softness in his eyes. It was odd, how someone so scary could appear to be so much…_better _than the original appearance.

"You know why I'm here. I came back for Edward…" I whispered back, glancing at Edward quickly, before turning back to Marcus. I shivered, partly from the fear, and partly from the cold radiating from the two vampires, and the damp, dingy conditions of the cell. Obviously, this part of Volterra was reserved for the more…_special _people. Well…special wasn't exactly the right word…but still.

Marcus looked confused at my answer, and I had no idea why. I guess he had never really found anyone he loved that much. But Edward obviously thought otherwise, and he was quick to cut in.

"Marcus. Don't blame her for what has happened to you in the past. She's innocent, Bella wouldn't hurt a fly…"

He must be brave, attempting to stick up for me when faced with one of the most dangerous vampires in the world. He looked pleadingly up at Marcus for a response, but he was still glaring at Edward in shock.

"My past has _nothing _to do with this. Miss Swan has broken the law, and she is still a human, after all you lot have promised. How am I supposed to trust you?"

"That's not _my _fault! That's the _dogs _fault…and _yours _as well! Who knows what would have happened if everything had been normal…" he murmured, not meeting my gaze, but staring straight ahead with fire behind his black eyes. They'd been starving him…

"What would have happened?" Marcus pressed, and I stared at Edward, wondering what the heck was going through his head. He couldn't be thinking straight, is that what had happened the last few days? Gradually left alone to go insane in a small, dark cell? That's what would have happened to me… Any time without Edward seemed like torture, though even now I'd found him, the state he was in wasn't making me any happier.

His hair was matted, tangled, and covered with dirt, making his gorgeous bronze locks seem almost black in colour. His shirt hung in rags against his chest, and I could make out purple bruises beneath it. And even though he smiled at me, there was pain behind his eyes. I kept on staring at him, waiting for his answer.

"Marcus, I wouldn't lie to you. I'll happily change her if you'll let us go. I'll change her right here, right now if that's necessary."

And then he leant towards me, murmuring 'I'm sorry' under his breath, and opened his mouth wide, heading for my neck. I couldn't help but be scared, this wasn't Edward…this wasn't what he wanted…

"No."

I looked up, as did Edward, to see Marcus glaring at us, and pulling Edward away from me.

"If you change her now, then Aro will find you. He will kill you both for sure"

I couldn't believe it…Marcus was trying to _save our lives. _Maybe he really was the good one in all of this afterall. But I still didn't believe it, it was too hard to suddenly trust someone who had been so evil in the past.

"Why do you care Marcus? Why don't _you _just kill us right now??" I blurted out, a strong glare on my face.

"Bella…" Edward muttered, obviously unimpressed by my ongoing stubbornness. He should know enough about me by now to realise that I would do that.

"Bella, I couldn't kill you. You've done nothing wrong. I'm simply trying to help you. If it was anyone else who found you, then you'd either be _dead, _or turning into one of us now." Marcus, snapped back at me, and I was momentarily stunned.

_Why was he trying to help us? _I didn't know…I didn't care. A smile stretched out across my face, and I felt more hope than ever. In my darkest hour, I was going to get out.

"Marcus…Thank you…I-I…"

"Don't bother. Because even when I let you go, there's still something I want you to do for me."

"What? What? Anything!" I perked up, it couldn't be _too _bad after all. Edward suddenly breathed heavily next to me, after picking out exactly what Marcus was about to say.

"I want you to kill the dog."


	22. Chapter 22: Freedom?

I was too stunned to say a word

I was too stunned to say a word. How could I even _think _ of killing Jake? He brought me here…he helped me when no one else had believed a single word I'd said. My sudden faith in Marcus was disintegrating quickly, and Edward clenched his hand over my shoulder to keep my on the floor.

"Kill him!" I cried, as loud as I dared. "But _why_??"

Marcus simply scoffed at me. "He's killed so many of the guard, and he almost made off with Jane just moments ago. I can't forgive him for that."

"But…not _Jake…_I…I…No!"

Edward cut me off. "Yes, Marcus. We'll try our best. Just get us out of here…"

He pulled me closer to him, and nodded, just to make sure I understood him. I _think _I did anyway. He wouldn't kill Jake, even with the history between them. Maybe the plan was just to leave, and go into hiding for the rest of our life… It's not like I could go home anymore. Not now.

"You promise Mr Cullen? Miss Swan? Do you _promise _that you will do this for me? Because if not, then I might not be so understanding."

He looked at us coldly, and lifted me in one swift motion. I clung tightly to Edwards arm, shuddering at the thoughts of all the possible consequences. We could make it only a few steps, get caught, and die. We could go, kill Jake, and then be wrecked with the guilt for the rest of our lives, the rest of eternity. Or we could escape, _not _kill Jake, and be hunted down by Marcus, and possibly the rest of the guard. Either way, it wasn't going to be easy, and it wasn't going to end well.

"Well?" asked Marcus again, more firmly than before. "Do you promise?"

"We promise," whispered Edward, clenching my hand firmly until I nodded in agreement.

That said, Marcus disappeared for an instant, reappearing in front of me before I had time to flinch. I blinked in surprise, and to my shock a small smile appeared in the corner of his mouth. _Definitely not one of the bad guys …_

"The Coast is clear, but you _have to _stay quiet, understand?"

I bobbed my head up and down manically, desperately trying not to mess up again. Edward smirked, but hoisted me up into his arms, holding me close to his chest. I didn't object though, because every touch from Edward felt a thousand times more electric than it had before. Now after everything that had happened, I never wanted to let him go.

Marcus, beckoned for us to follow him, and we glided gently through the corridors at a truly sickening speed, only this time I was too afraid to close my eyes, I just stared at Edward instead. Walls blurred past me in a dizzy rush, and when we came abruptly to a stop, I realised where we were. I was put down about 2 metres away from the original cell, the one with the tourists in it. Oh no. Could this day get _any_ worse? _Please don't say a word, please don't tell Marcus what I told you…_ I pleaded silently in my head, wanting to get out as soon as possible. If they mentioned anything about the Volturi not being human, then I would be dead. And most likely, so would Marcus… and Edward. Marcus hurried us into the adjoining cell, and wasted no time. He and Edward ran to a far wall, and prized back a piece of metal, revealing what looked like just another corridor.

"That's the only other known way out. Just follow it down," said Marcus, no louder than a whisper, and we nodded in gratefulness, knowing that we both owed Marcus our lives.

"_Thank you …" _mouthed Edward, and Marcus smiled back at us, a proper smile this time_. _Now he's revealed his true colours, it was obvious that he wasn't a bad person at all, he had been changed too much by the harsh laws and punishments that the Volturi set. I'd have to ask Edward about his past later…that might explain a lot.

By then Edward was standing in the hole, and waved a final goodbye to our true saviour. But it couldn't all end smoothly, it never did for me. Because it was at that moment that one of the _idiotic _tourists had to open her mouth.

"Help us out too! Please! I don't want to stay here with these monsters of the night…"

She hadn't said vampires, and not even anything about not being human, but it was still enough, and I heard another Crash from above.

"_WHAT!!"_ Aro's voice sounded loud and clear, and my heart started pounding again. Marcus suddenly looked panicked, turning his head in fright.

"Run!" he shouted. "Just RUN!"

And we ran, but I had no idea if it would be enough, if we would _really _escape this time…


	23. Chapter 23: Busting Out

We ran

We ran.

I had never seen Edward run so fast, never seen him have so much motivation to run to safety. But we were flying so fast, the world was a blur, my head spun, and I felt like I was sailing through the gloomy tunnel, as free as a bird.

"_Get a hold of them!_" I heard, but I couldn't be certain whose voice it was, or if it was even a voice. The wind was whipping past my ears, and the roaring noise was so deafening, I could only just hear my heavy breathing and the thumping of my heart.

_Stupid tourist. Stupid, idiotic tourist…_

"Hold on Bella, we're nearly there…" said Edward, and I jumped, surprised to hear a sound over the wind.

At this moment, we broke out of the building, and light streamed into my eyes. I could feel the fresh air on my skin, but it was moving by almost too fast to be able to breathe it in. I spluttered back a gasp, and smiled as the soaring didn't stop, it only got faster.

Edward stopped a few minutes later, pausing to look around, checking to see if the coast was clear. He smiled, and then pulled me closer to him, kissing me deeply.

"You came back for me." He said simply, a proud smile plastered on his face.

"I love you too much to let you go…" I replied, trying not to get lost in the wonder that was his eyes, still onyx black, but still beautiful.

He ran his fingers through my hair, and kissed me again, more romantically than ever before, not letting me pause for air, not that I wanted to anyway. It was perfect. Utterly perfect, and I almost felt that all this drama was worth it for this second alone. Just me and Edward, here in each others arms…

"Awww. How _touching_" a cold voice spoke out, breaking the silence. I turned to see Jane smirking at us- alone, but still looking deadly. _Why could they never leave me alone?? _I glared at her, but that only made her laugh even harder.

"Don't worry, I'm alone…" she spat at me, licking her lips in pure lustilous temptation. Pure evil pretty much summed Jane up.

"Leave us Jane….we've done no harm," Edward murmured, sounding like he would be crying if it were possible. Jasper would be going mental right now. At this thought, my mind spurred back to the others, out there somewhere, probably worried sick about what had happened to me. And Jake was out there somewhere too… It would take a lot of effort to get through this, to find them, and to make it out of here alive.

"I'm sorry _Edward_," said Jane, whisking me back to reality. "But this isn't exactly my choice. Even so, you still have to suffer for it…and _Bella _seems to be an adequate loss for you, don't you think?"

She winked at him, and took a menacing step forward, glaring at us, and pointing a finger at me. Jane unleashed her might on me again, sending me to the floor in pain, screaming in agony.

"NO!" Edward shouted. "Not Bella…don't take Bella…please…"

But it was too late, and she took another step, her teeth bared, and her back arched, like a cat about to pounce. All I could do was shut my eyes and hope for the best, not wanting to watch Edward fight again.

I heard everything though, the shouts of pain from both vampires, the whoosh of the wind as it circled past me, and the sickening crunch that ended it all. I couldn't even try looking up, I was too terrified that it was Jane who had won, and this time, Edward really _was _dead.

If Jane had won…then that was it. Life over: No Edward, no me… It would all be for nothing. However, I was instantly comforted by the pair of cold arms that enclosed around my waist, and the soft lips that brushed my cheek.

"Bella…you can open your eyes now."

I opened them, only to look into Edward's beautiful eyes, and his angelic smile. He pulled me into a hug, and I refused to let go.

"I love you…" I mumbled into his chest, and he flicked my chin up, so I was staring at him again.

"I love you too Bella, I will _always _love you. No matter what the Volturi do to us. It's just you and me…"

We stayed like that for a long time, could have been hours, days for whatever I cared. This was what I'd wanted all alone: just to be back in his arms, like we were alone in the world.

Eventually he pulled away from the embrace, a smile beaming on his face, still clutching my hands.

"We need to go find everyone else…" he whispered, swinging me into his arms, and kissing me on the cheek.

And with that, we set off again, not knowing who we would find, or where we would find them…

**Sorry it's been a while! I got mock exams to study for :)**

**Will Update ASAP- Thanks for all the great reviews!**

**In responses to some questions…Marcus is nice because that's who he is. He was only acting mean because he's cynical about his past. Some of you might know about this, but it will be explained.**

**And I don't know if vampires can get bruises, but just assume that they can :)**


	24. Chapter 24: Why?

"So why just you

**100 reviews! I love you guys!**

**Sorry for the delay, I got Spanish AND French speaking questions to memorise…and it's not nice!**

**But here it is, kind of a filler while I toy with some ideas. :)**

"So why just you?" Edward asked me for the hundredth time. "Why didn't the others help you…it's just not like them."

Usually I was able to quickly change the subject when this question came up, but this time it didn't look like he was going to back down. How could I tell him that his family had abandoned him because they thought he was dead? He wouldn't even _believe _that, and he's press for more, even though that _was _the truth. We'd been moving for hours now, at a very slow pace. Edward was being cautious, and I was too jumpy to make the journey any easier.

"Well, Bella?" he asked again. "Don't distract me again, I want to know. Have you had a fallout?"

I sighed, knowing that I had to tell him now. He would find out eventually anyway.

"Kind of…" I murmured, looking away from his eyes. He probably already knew I was hiding something.

"Well? What about?"

"They might be under the impression that I'm mentally unstable." I managed to choke out, hoping that a joke might lighten the mood. Obviously, it didn't.

"What are you _talking _about?" he continued, sounding slightly annoyed now. Yep, the joke was _definitely _ a bad idea.

"Well…" I started, taking a deep breathe. "After they joined the Volturi, or _pretended _to join, they broke free, taking me with them, and told me you had been killed. I knew you hadn't, and we got into a big fight, and then Jacob rescued me."

I stopped, looking into his eyes, now the beautiful topaz colour after a quick hunt, and gauged his reaction.

He was still, a slight glare fixated on his face, but he wasn't glaring at me, he was starting of into the sky. I waited about a minute until he spoke again.

"That doesn't make any sense. Alice can see the future!" He sounded panicked, and I didn't want to upset him. But I still had to tell him the truth.

"Edward, I don't know why it happened, but it did. It doesn't even matter any more!"

He turned to look at me, clutching my arm tightly, before swinging me up into his arms, and walking again, slowly this time.

"Do you know where Jacob is? Or the rest of my family?" he asked cautiously, and I sighed, but shook my head.

"I have no idea. I guess we'll just have to find them."

He groaned, picking up the pace, and breaking into a run. I loved this feeling, just me and him with the world whizzing by, we didn't have to do anything… His delicious scent filled my head, and I grinned at the pure ecstasy of this feeling. He caught my eye again, and burst out laughing.

"You are funny Bella…" he said, grinning back at me.

"What? Why?"

"There's an army of vampires after us, wanting revenge, wanting us _dead. _We're in a strange country, with no obvious way out, and no idea where my family is, or if they're even alive, and you're still obliviously happy!"

I giggled, clutching his hand. I was feeling so alive, it was awesome.

"We can do _anything_ now! Jane's dead! Marcus is _nice _for crying out loud! We'll find everyone, and then it will be just like normal. Can't you see Edward? The world is on _our _side!"

"I only wish what you were saying is really true…." He said with a sigh, and kept running.

I thought about his words more and more, as the forest disappeared behind us, and the rest of Italy surrounded us. It was true, we _did _have no idea what was going to happen, but it would work out….I knew it.


	25. Chapter 25: An Unexpected Guest

The travelling was becoming unbearable. Not because I was bored, or lonely, but because I was constantly paranoid about everything- a tree moving, a distant noise, a person walking by. It wasn't working, and both of us were feeling the pressure.

Edward was more patient than I was, but even he was wishing this trip was over. Time merged together, I was afraid to sleep, I forgot to eat. It was like I was a child, with no idea what was happening to me. Now it was just the fear. This godforsaken, controlling fear, that seemed to want to just take over my life and leave it at that.

It wasn't until about midday that something actually happened.

"Don't move, don't speak, don't do _anything_." Edward whispered harshly in my year, and we both froze. I tried desperately to listen, to see something, but I couldn't. I guessed that Edward was probably listening to someone's thoughts.

We stayed very still, Edward glaring into a field in the distance, me staring into his face, trying to wonder what the hell was going on. Nothing seemed to be changing, and I wasn't sure whether we were in danger or not. It could mean anything. The Volturi could be advancing towards us, or it might just be a local, harmlessly walking past.

Five minutes later, I grew too impatient to do anything else, so I broke the awkward silence that seemed to have engulfed us.

"_What is it?"_ I whispered angrily, needing to know. Edward had a way of assuming everyone else around him knew exactly what was happening. With his family, they probably did, but I was constantly left clueless. If only he could read my mind…

"Someone, or _something_ is near us." He muttered through gritted teeth. I relaxed slightly. It wasn't like he was yelling at me to run away, so how bad could it be?

"So what's the problem then?" I hissed back, slightly annoyed at how badly he was reacting.

"It's his thoughts….they're _really _bothering me right now…"

"Is that _all?" _I asked angrily. They weren't going to kill us, or attack us… no, his _thoughts _are a bit messed up…

He looked at me, a slight smile on his lips, before glaring back at what I could only see as thin air.

"But Bella, how can I help it? He's thinking about you!"

I froze, looking at him in shock, before following his gaze to the fields beyond. Sure enough, I could just about make out a dark blur, moving quickly in our direction. Surely if it was something bad we would be running by now…right?

"I'd kill that dog if he hadn't helped you…." He murmured again, and I blinked in surprise.

Jacob! Jacob was back! One down, six to go…that was something at least. He had stopped now, only about 100 metres away from us, and started walking our way at human speed. Definitely Jacob, I could see his long black hair clearly, and the gleam in his eyes as he stared at us.

"See," said Edward with a smirk. "I told you it was bad."

I pushed him, and glared. He could be so petty at times. It was only Jacob after all, and it wasn't like he had anything to be jealous about either. Even though Jacob had helped me, he'd helped me to rescue Edward…wasn't that worth something any more?

"How could you be so _rude?_" I said angrily, but I was faking it now. It was hard not to smile with Edward standing next to me and Jacob approaching with his big beaming smile on his face.

Edward laughed, pushing his hair out of his eyes, and snaking an arm around my waist. Jacob broke into a jog, and was soon standing in front of us.

"Hey guys," he said coolly, though I couldn't stay silent for long.

"JAKE! Your Alive!" I shouted, throwing my arms around his neck, grinning as widely as I could.

"Hell yea I am," he replied, smiling back at us. "You got Edward back allright then?"

Edward scoffed. "Barely. Only after we were chased from the building and were forced to kill one of them…"

"Which one?" asked Jake eagerly.

"Jane."

"Awesome! She was a real bitch…" he said, hi-fiving Edward, not watching as I rolled my eyes.

It was so nice to have them both back, that their banter didn't annoy me for a while, until my questions became too much to hold in.

"Jake! Hello, remember me?" I teased, and he smirked playfully back. "Um…if you don't mind me asking…_how the heck did you escape back there!!_??"

Edward turned to me for a second, before nodding his head, curiosity in his eyes.

"Well…" began Jacob, biting his lip. "I guess I'm just more skilled than I thought I was. They weren't too hard to take down, but I only scared them a bit, then I just pegged it, until I found you guys."

He stopped abruptly, and I knew that there was something he was keeping from us (though Edward probably knew already). I decided that it was best to trust him that I didn't need or want to know. It couldn't be that bigger deal anyway.

------------

We'd set off again pretty soon after that, faster this time, now that Edward and Jacob could _both _carry me at the same time. It was an interesting experience, to have Edward's cold arms wrapped around one half of my body, and Jacob's roasting skin heating my other. On normal circumstances, this would _never _have happened. I reckoned that even when Jacob touched me, Edward was screaming with jealousy.

"Do you know where we're going?" asked Edward cautiously. Jake had been leading the way, not telling us why or where we were going.

"I thought you knew?" replied Jacob. "We're going to your family. Isn't that what you wanted?"

I choked. We knew where we were going! YES!

"Really?" asked Edward, perking up instantly. "You know where they are?"

Jacob nodded, beaming proudly at us.

"I found them when I went looking for you. They didn't see me though, cause I kinda thought that they'd kill me if I came back without Bella."

My heart thumped manically in my chest. We could get out of here, we could _leave!_ Finally, these horrible last few days were coming to an end….

**I'll update again ASAP. If anyone's got any ideas, or plot twists that I could add in to extend it, feel free to tell me!**


	26. Chapter 26: Seeing them again

We walked for what felt like hours, but eventually Jacob stopped, and pressed a finger to my lips.

"We're almost here…" he whispered, nodding at Edward.

"Then let's go! We're so close…" I urged him, trying to stand up and walk, but neither of them let me.

"No Bella," said Edward cautiously, holding me back. "We don't want them to get scared. They might think that the Volturi are playing tricks with them. It could get ugly, they might attack us or run away."

I sighed. Things were never as simple as they should be. And it was annoying how the Volturi could mess up your lives even when they had absolutely _nothing _to do with it. Live was just like that I guess. Annoying, and insanely awkward…

"I guess your right…." I mumbled, glaring at the floor.

"Bella and I should go in first," said Jacob, looking like he was thinking way too hard. "And then when we've cleared things up a bit, Edward can come…then they won't freak out as much."

"Your right, they'll be too worried about Bella to notice anything for a while." Muttered Edward in agreement, looking at me for encouragement.

I trusted them both, so in a way, I couldn't see how this plan could fail. It was just based on whatever reaction the fellow Cullen's had when they saw me, and even worse when they saw Edward. But Jacob and Edward were both far more intelligent than I was, so I decided not to ponder on their decision…it would always be better than what I could come up with.

"Allright…" I whispered, smiling half heartedly, still weighing up all that could possibly go wrong in my head. The list was pretty long…but this was the only chance we could get.

"Let's go…"murmured Jake, grabbing my arm and steering my body into the forest. About five minutes later, my heart thudded in my chest. However strange it sounded, I could almost _sense_ that they were nearby. I didn't exactly possess any strange vampire traits…but it was like the feeling when you can feel someone watching you. I could _feel _their presence…so close to me.

As we walked closer, slowly, I started to hear them. A couple of low growls, a thump, and laughter and cheering. Emmett and Jasper were probably wrestling again… Memories I'd tried to suppress over the last few days suddenly flooded back to me, filling my head with the happiness I'd felt when I was with my new family.

I couldn't help myself.

Wrenching my arm free from Jacob's grip, I ran into the clearing, Jake following frantically, and gazed at their faces, staring at me in shock.

"Hi…" I finally managed to say, after I'd caught my breath again from the run. They stared at me in shock, an eyrie silence surrounding us, time slowly to a near standstill.

"Bella…what?..."

"How the hell…."

"Where did you…"

Their stuttered responses didn't last long, because right on cue, Alice found her head again.

"BELLA!" she screamed, wrapping her arms around my neck and hugging me tightly. I grinned back at her. This was the response that I had wanted all along. I turned back to face the others, the smile still plastered on my face, and I just beamed at them, waiting patiently as they slowly came around.

"But I don't understand…" asked Rosalie curiously. "Why did you leave? Why are you back? And what is _he _doing here…" She growled at Jake, who smirked back at her direction.

"Long story blondie…don't think your brain could take it."

She snarled at him, and Emmett placed a restraining arm around her waist.

"Well, I asked Jacob to help me find Edward because none of _you _would believe me. Then he took me back here to find you…understand?"

They still looked confused, and Esme walked over, and overly tender smile on her beautiful face.

"I'm glad your back sweetie, but now do you believe that Edward's really gone?"

"I'm so sorry to interrupt…but I slightly disagree with that point."

I flipped round to see Edward gliding through the clearing, smiling at his family. They _had _to believe me now. The evidence was standing right in front of them.

Alice screamed. Not in her typical, excitable way, but an actual, proper scream. And it scared me to death.

"Oh my God Jasper!" she shrieked. "Help me! I'm seeing the dead…."

"Hate to break it to you sis, but I _am _dead…and so are you!"

He chuckled, gliding his arm around my waist, and smiling convincingly at his famiy They were totally silent, and I was sure that my frantically increasing heart rate was the only sound to be heard.

"See?" I asked them, clutching onto Edward tightly, starting to enjoy their puzzled expressions. It was nice thinking that for the first time since I'd met Edward, I was the one who was right for a change.

"But it's impossible!" shrieked Alice, looking like she would be blubbing if possible. "You _can't _be alive. I know you are, but you just _can't _be!!"

"Alice…" growled Edward, looking slightly angry at her. "Whether it's possible or not, I _am _alive. And you can stop blocking yourself from me as well…it's annoying."

Alice gasped, and everyone else seemed to stop too. As usual, I seemed to be the only one who wasn't in on the big, shocking news.

"What?" I demanded angrily, glancing sideways at Jake who shrugged his shoulders. Well…maybe not the only one…

"I still can't see your future…" Alice murmured, terrified, staring at Edward with wide eyes.

"…And I can't read your thoughts…"

**I'm sooo sorry it's been ages! But I've had manic revision for speaking exams (got two A's, so it paid off). I got mock exams for 2 weeks now, but I have way more free time due to study leave, so I'll defo update much sooner, and with a longer chapter, I just really wanted to get this out.**

**1 month 5 days till twilight! (for us English anyway…everyone in America is sooo lucky!)**

**Much love, soz again that it's been ageeees!!**

**xx**


	27. Chapter 27: Explanations

"Wait…_what?_" I exclaimed, glancing at the others, who had similar expressions on their faces.

Edward nodded glumly. "I don't know why it's happened, but something's wrong. I can still read everyone else's mind-apart from Bella's of course- but just not Alice's…"

She nodded quickly, looking utterly distraught.

"Same situation. I could see all of your futures before…until Jacob showed up, but I haven't been able to see Edward's since we were in Volterra."

I gulped. Just as I thought we were getting out of her, another problem had hit us in the face. Well…didn't it always these days. Just to think, only a week ago I was tucked up at home with hardly a care in the world.

"Carlisle." Said Rosalie hastily, breaking through my happy memories. "Surely you've heard of this before, or at least know what we can do about it. This is _serious."_

Carlisle sighed, and bowed his head.

"Yes Rose, I think I do have an idea what's going on, but it's not something I really want to be true, and I'll just hope it's not."

Alice's head shot up, a smile on her face.

"You know? Tell us Carlisle!"

"I only _think _I know Alice… I think that…I think that the Volturi may have an interesting new power on their side."

I was confused, but obviously, so was everyone.

"What do you mean?" Edward asked, looking around, almost like he expected to be being watched over.

"I mean that obviously, your powers have not diminished, which is impossible as from my knowledge. But the link between you two has been broken, and only after we were at Volterra in that…_unfortunate_ turn of events. When I was there I noticed a few members of the guard that I didn't recognise. Naturally, at the time it didn't bother me, but now I've got to thinking…it could be serious."

I blinked in surprise, but sighed in exasperation. I was _not _going back to Volterra again. I was already on enough hit-lists, and I would be on one more if I returned and Marcus saw Jacob, alive and well. I couldn't risk it again…the Volturi would be more careful next time.

Alice still didn't understand.

"What _sort _of power? Why haven't we heard about it before?"

Carlisle continued. "A power just _can't _be eliminated between two people. It's not possible. I think…and I only _think…_that the Volturi have infiltrated the connection between you two, it being so strong. And because all that you see and hear aren't coming to you…my only suggestion is that it's…"

"…coming to them." Alice finished for him, and gasped. "Oh my God. This is horrible…"

Carlisle nodded gravely. "It is, but I think they might have even more control after that. They probably have the ability to put images into your minds as well, like 'fake' visions. They could have a _lot _of control over you."

"That's why I thought Edward was dead…" Alice murmured, reaching out protectively for Jasper's hand.

"That's why we were getting traced by them so easily…" muttered Edward.

"…and that's why they're probably watching us right now."

**I know it's short, but I wanted to update quickly. My exams are proving to be good…it's giving me a lot more time.**

**I even started writing a new story…it's called "Too drunk too remember" and it's all human. Check it out if you want!**

**Will update uber quickly!**

**xx**


	28. Chapter 28: More Plans

I spun around like an idiot, waiting for the big confrontation, but nothing happened. Edward chuckled sweetly, and Carlisle looked sympathetic.

"Don't worry Bella, the Volturi are far more subtle than this. They're probably a long way away, just watching our every move through the mind link. However, at least now they won't see our future, thanks to Jacob."

I was still stunned. Nothing could ever go right could it. But at least we were all together now, and way more likely to get through it all. It could be worse…right?

"Do you think it's only the link between _them _that's getting bugged?" enquired Jasper wistfully. "Because we need to think of something to do. And we'd be in a lot more trouble if they were watching _all _of us."

He sighed, and wrapped an arm protectively around Alice's waist.

"Actually, no, I don't think so. It's only the link between _them _that seems to have been interfered with. The rest of us probably have nothing to worry about."

Everyone sighed in relief, and one by one slumped down onto the floor, not wanting to say a word. There was just something about this family and bad situations….wasn't there…

About ten minutes later, Edward stood up again, dragging me with him, and looking scared.

"We need to do something about it though don't we? I mean, they _know _now. They know that we've found out. They won't be waiting around any longer, they'll be trying to act as soon as possible. And personally, they won't let any of us live this time, whether we offer to join them or not. We're on the Volturi's personal death list. It's certainly not a good thing."

I nodded beside him, understanding everything. I of course, was going to be punished more than any of them could be. How many times now had I interfered with plans, broken promises, and ran away from death…

"Well we certainly can't fight them," said Carlisle. "There's about 15 of them, and 9 of us, though Bella can't exactly defend herself against them…"

"14 of them actually," said Edward, and Jacob smirked. "Jane's dead."

"It still doesn't make much of a difference. They'll finish us in seconds. We have to think of another way to get out of here, unseen by them. They've probably stopped surrounding the coast now, with a mental block on us and everything."

"We can't use our fighting skills…" murmured Emmett. "Looks like we'll have to use our _other _skills instead."

"But _how_?" whined Alice. "They'll see everything."

Jacob took a step forward. "You're forgetting something. As long as _I'm _involved in all plans involving Edward. Your protected. Now Alice, walk away from us, and start translating something in your head."

"Excuse me…"

"GO!"

She walked away, obviously confused, but did as she was told, and the look on her face showed that she was really concentrating.

"Jacob…" muttered Edward angrily. "What the _hell_ was that all about?"

"It's the only way to make sure that whatever plans we make aren't overheard. I may be a dog, but I'm not stupid!"

I giggled, and the rest of the family smiled. Edward had to admit, it was a pretty good idea.

"But what's the plan?" asked Edward. "What now?"

"That's easy…" butted in Jasper. "We just have to go for it. Run like hell if you want… Think about it. They know that we've found out, and they're gonna start coming for us. The faster we move, the more chance we've got."

"But what about Alice?"

"She won't know what the plan is…but we can make her keep translating things for a little safety. The plan's perfect."

Everyone agreed enthusiastically, and I just nodded, trying hard not to imagine the worst. _Everything _was at stake here, and everything could go wrong…or right. It was a two way scheme. Either we would make it back to Fork's in perfect safety…or we would all die right here, no questions asked.

Crap.

**Apologies for the length and the delay, but I wanted the escape to start next chapter, and I've been too caught up in my other story recently…check it out, I think it's pretty good.**

**I'm so annoyed that I'm English…I wanna see twilight so badly now! Is it good? Hope it is xD**

**xx**


	29. Chapter 29: Escaping

"So we go?" asked Carlisle, standing up straighter and glancing around in confirmation that we weren't being watched.

Edward nodded. "We go. And we have to go now."

Everyone seemed to be upright and ready in seconds, though Alice was still turned with her back away from us, muttering to herself.

"Alice!" Jacob called, and she turned around, still completely stunned. "Now, you have to trust us. Jasper will carry you, close your eyes, cover your ears, and keep translating, no matter how hard and boring it is. It'll be worth it."

She nodded, and I saw her lip quiver slightly. It must be horrible pressure for her, knowing that a slipup from her could ruin this whole plan, but it was the only way. If all the Volturi heard from her was darkness and silly translations, they'd have no clue, and before they could track us, we'd be long gone...hopefully.

"Time to go..." a voice whispered in my ear, and I glanced up to see Edward's face next to mine, smiling, though he wasn't happy. It was all a pretence, I was sure of it. He swung me up into his arms, like he's done so many times before on this 'trip', if you could really call it that. As he started moving into a run,I glanced at the others around me. Alice had her eyes screwed shut and her face was wrinkled in deep concentration, whereas Jasper looked half worried for Alice and half desperate to not let it affect him. The emotions coming from us must be awful, truly awful.

The others were running ahead and behind us, obviously at a slower pace than they would have liked to, but carrying us was something that had to be done.

Instead of focusing on the scenery, which shot past me at a blinding speed, I chose instead to focus on Edward's face, which was still beautiful, even with the worried expression. I could see every contour of his face, each dark shadow on his skin, and all the many colours that made up his beautiful amber eyes. Looking at him made me almost forget what was happening, and I tried to keep it that way.

The group merged closer together pretty quickly, obviously a defence mechanism and a way of gaining communication. I could see Jacob in front, in his wolf form, running like he owned our odd little group, and Carlisle and Esme were behind him, while Emmett and Rosalie stuck to the back of the group. We were protected from all angles.

"So are we definitely safe if this continues?" asked Rosalie, loudly enough for me to hear.

"No." said Carlisle bluntly. "They still have Demetri on their side, and he's a highly skilled tracker, even better than James. He's after us now, I know it, and even with our head start, he's not being held back by anything, and he's fast. _Very _fast."

Rosalie groaned, and one quick glance showed me that she was obviously upset.

"So this is all for nothing is it? A sort of 'we might as well die trying' type scenario?"

"No." Cut in Edward, and the sound of his voice made me jump ever so slightly. "They obviously are aware that we know about their bugging, but we don't know if they're planning, or are all going together, or even if Demetri is still manning the coast. We can't know for sure for a while at least. And if it's just Demetri alone, we can take him. Easy."

But only easy if they come at us one at a time. Not if they all find us at once... Then I'm dead. Then _we're _dead probably. The Cullen's had done enough to annoy the Volturi already, they would be in line for an equal punishment to me, except for Alice and Edward perhaps. I'd heard Edward talk about how Aro was interested in them, having them on their side. If they could know the future, the Volturi would be unstoppable...

I cringed at the thought of it. If given the chance, would they join forces with the Volturi, if it were life or death? Edward always said that if I died, he would follow, but with the Volturi acting as his suicide, would they let it happen? Could they _make _him join, like the Alpha commands in Jake's pack??

Too many questions whirred through my head, and I knew that hardly any of them would be answered in the near future. I was just going to have to worry a little bit more.

**Basically, I have no excuse. I'm really sorry!!!! I sort of thought in a weird way that I'd already finished, and then I got reviewed the other day and I realised that I hadn't. Eurgh, I'm awful, at least shield the anger by being happy about a review?? Please?? More coming, I actually have time on my hands now that I've finished exams. :] Sorry again, much love, pip x**


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